Biden campaign seizes on Trump saying "we have to get over" Iowa shooting
From CNN's Kate Sullivan
The Biden campaign is seizing on former President Donald Trump's comments in a speech he made today about the recent shooting in Iowa.
“It’s a very terrible thing that happened and it’s just horrible to see that happening. That’s just horrible. So surprising to see it here. But we have to get over it, we have to move forward," Trump said during a speech in Sioux Center, Iowa, on Friday.
Some background: A 17-year-old gunman killed a sixth grade student and wounded five other people Thursday morning at Perry High School near Des Moines, Iowa, authorities said.
The five people wounded include four students and one school administrator, officials said. The school’s principal, Dan Marburger, was among the injured, according to officials in another school district where Marburger was an alumnus.
9:41 p.m. ET, January 5, 2024
Ramaswamy says he doesn't know Iowa star basketball player Caitlin Clark, shocking Iowa voters
From CNN's Aaron Pellish
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during a town hall in Maquoketa, Iowa on Friday, January 5. CNN
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said he didn't know Caitlin Clark, the University of Iowa women's basketball star, in response to a voter question on Friday, drawing exasperated gasps from some members of the crowd.
A woman attending Ramaswamy’s town hall in Maquoketa, Iowa, on Friday asked Ramaswamy if he knew “the name of the Iowa women’s basketball player who has been setting records.”
“No, I don’t,” Ramaswamy said, prompting audible shock from the dozens gathered to hear him speak.
“I should?,” he asked the crowd, responding to their reaction.
The woman who asked the question told him her name is Caitlin Clark.
“Actually I’ve been hearing about it, people have been bringing up the name,” he said after a pause. “That’s who that is, good.”
Clark’s cult status in the first-in-the-nation caucus state has infiltrated the Republican presidential race in recent days.
At a University of Iowa women’s basketball game last month, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley mistakenly called the team’s star player by the wrong name, identifying her as “Caitlin Collins.”
In a veiled jab at Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis presented CNN’s Kaitlan Collins with a replica Clark jersey at a CNN town hall in Iowa on Thursday.
8:38 p.m. ET, January 5, 2024
Trump says he hopes Supreme Court justices he appointed will be fair as court considers 14th Amendment case
Trump argued that judges he appointed “go out of their way to be fair and unbiased and even to a point where they hurt you,” as he addressed a crowd of supporters in Sioux Center, Iowa.
“All I want is fair. I fought really hard to get three very, very good people in. They're great people, very smart people. And I just hope that they're going to be fair because you know, the other side plays the ref,” Trump said.
The US Supreme Court said Friday it would review the Colorado Supreme Court’s unprecedented decision to remove Trump from the state’s ballot. Trump remains on the primary ballot as the lower-court ruling disqualifying him has been put on hold pending Supreme Court action.
If the justices do conclude Trump is ineligible for public office, then any votes cast for him wouldn’t count.
7:50 p.m. ET, January 5, 2024
Christie reacts to Supreme Court's announcement that it will review Colorado Trump decision
From CNN's Ali Main
Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie speaks during a town hall in Keene, New Hampshire, on Friday, January 5. Tell It Like it Is PAC
Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie reacted on Friday to the US Supreme Court's announcement that it will review the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to remove former President Donald Trump from that state’s ballot, telling New Hampshire voters that "it's not the job of the nine members of the Supreme Court to keep our republic. It's ours."
The former federal prosecutor reiterated his view at a town hall in Keene that there are "good legal arguments" as to why Trump doesn't qualify to be on state ballots, but he hopes the court doesn't kick Trump off "because it's our responsibility, not the nine Justices of the Supreme Court."
Christie recalled founding father Benjamin Franklin's words that the United States is "a republic, if you can keep it."
"This is the moment. A republic, if you can keep it. It's not the job of the nine members of the Supreme Court to keep our republic. It's ours. It's our republic, it's our job. And for better or for worse for all of you, it's your job," Christie said.
Christie brought up Trump's comment that he would be a dictator only on the first day of his presidency, and told the room of New Hampshire voters "you voted for him in '16," prompting one voter to call out "no, we didn't."
"Unfortunately, you're saddled with it, babe, you're saddled with it," Christie responded, continuing to detail Trump's winning record in past New Hampshire primaries.
"You vote for him in 24 ... Live Free or Die sounds like bull to me. Right? Because this guy doesn't want you to have freedom," he said.
Christie called Trump angry, bitter and "backward looking," warning that he will "continue to be even worse."
"If you want to try to turn that page, it's not going to fix itself. We have to fix it. The Supreme Court's not going to come in and save us. We're gonna have to save ourselves," he said.
8:00 p.m. ET, January 5, 2024
Ramaswamy says event in Iowa town where school shooting happened "one of the most meaningful" of campaign
From CNN's Aaron Pellish
Ramaswamy prays with residents of Perry, Iowa, on Thursday, January 4. CNN
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy reflected on the campaign event he held in Perry, Iowa, as the news broke Thursday of a shooting at nearby Perry High School, calling it “one of the most meaningful events” he’s held on the campaign trail.
Ramaswamy talked about his experience learning of the shooting as he arrived in Perry for a campaign event Thursday morning, and speaking with Perry residents as the community learned of the tragedy.
“I was in Perry when it happened, actually. We had an event about five minutes away from the shooting and we were there. I only heard about it literally as we're pulling up — we see ambulances, we see police cars, we see helicopters, you know something is happening,” Ramaswamy said.
Ramaswamy talked about the decision to shift the event from a traditional campaign town hall to a community prayer gathering and shared the reactions of two Perry residents who said they had long-held concerns about threats at the high school.
"That was probably one of the most meaningful events we’ve had. We said a prayer at the beginning of the event and gave people permission to say whatever needed to be said. And let's just say it was a tearful event in that community,” Ramaswamy said.
“The first two people who spoke were both people who lived in Perry, one of them was a guy, a young man who had just gone to Perry High School, and both of them independently said the same thing ... He said we're not shocked that this happened," he added.
A sixth grade student was killed and five others were wounded in the shooting, police said.
7:13 p.m. ET, January 5, 2024
Colorado’s top election official certifies primary ballot with Trump’s name
From CNN's Holmes Lybrand
Colorado’s top election official has now certified the state’s 2024 presidential primary ballots with former President Donald Trump’s name on the Republican ballot.
Secretary of State Jena Griswold had previously made clear Trump’s name would remain on the state’s primary ballot given his appeal of the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to remove him unless the US Supreme Court said otherwise.
“The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments to the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision that Donald Trump is ineligible to appear on the Colorado Presidential Primary ballot,” a statement from her office said Friday. “His name will appear on the 2024 Presidential Primary ballot as a result.”
6:50 p.m. ET, January 5, 2024
Trump campaign welcomes a "fair hearing" at Supreme Court
From CNN's Kate Sullivan
Former President Donald Trump campaign says it welcomes a “fair hearing” at the Supreme Court over the 14th Amendment challenge to Trump appearing on the Colorado ballot.
“The so-called ‘ballot-challenge cases’ are all part of a well-funded effort by left-wing, political activists hell-bent on stopping the lawful reelection of President Trump this November, even if it means disenfranchising voters,” campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement. “We are confident that the fair-minded Supreme Court will unanimously affirm the civil rights of President Trump, and the voting rights of all Americans."
6:47 p.m. ET, January 5, 2024
DeSantis assures Iowans he can "unify the party," and says "Trump First" campaign is not sustainable
From CNN's Kit Maher
Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis appears at a campaign event at the Elk Lodge in Decorah, Iowa, with Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie and Texas Rep. Chip Roy. CNN
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis assured Iowans he can unite the Republican Party – including those that stand firmly for former President Trump – if they put their faith in him at the caucuses just 10 days from now.
One voter asked how DeSantis plans to “beat the bullying from the MAGA group and Trump?”
“You guys come out for me in the caucus, we will, we will get it done,” DeSantis replied. “We will unify the party. You know, that's not an issue. I mean, if you think about America First policies, you know, Donald Trump has been associated with those. I've delivered on those more than anybody in the whole country.”
DeSantis said his record delivering “conservative principles and conservative policies” would unify the party, since it’s about results, not any one individual.
“When Trump ran in ‘16, it was really you know, America First. There was a lot of energy behind that, because we needed things shaken up,” DeSantis said. “Now, this campaign has really been about Trump First, and that doesn't – that's not ultimately going to be sustainable, because it's got to be rooted in some principles.”
DeSantis stressed how consequential Iowans would be in this election, thanking those who already committed to caucus for him and tasking them with recruiting more support.
He told voters he’s keeping his “eye on the prize” in Iowa which “can set the tone,” for New Hampshire, South Carolina and other early primary states.
DeSantis also commented on Florida receiving FDA approval of its Canadian Prescription Drug Importation Program, which will allow the import of cheaper drugs from Canada to his state.
“We've been fighting with Biden for now for three years over this,” DeSantis said. “Just today, we got the decision that our program is approved, and that the state of Florida is going to be able to purchase pharmaceuticals from Canada. So it's the same drug. We now have a big warehouse we’ve found to relabel.” “We think it's gonna save between $100 and $200 million a year for taxpayers in the State of Florida,” he said.
6:26 p.m. ET, January 5, 2024
Christie calls House GOP leadership cowardly for endorsing Trump
From CNN's Ali Main in New Hampshire
Christie speaks during a campaign event at MaryAnn's Diner in Amherst, New Hampshire, on Friday, January 5.. Sophie Park/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie called the top GOP House leaders, who have endorsed Donald Trump for president, "cowards" who "just fall in line."
He said Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Majority Whip Tom Emmer backed the former president because they feared him.
"Not because they believe in him. Because believe me, I haven't spoken to Speaker Johnson but I've spoken to Steve Scalise and Tom Emmer. They don't believe in him," he said.
Christie suggested Trump was right when he told the New York Times that GOP lawmakers "always bend the knee" in response to securing the support of Emmer, after tanking the Minnesota Republican's speakership bid.
The former New Jersey governor also said he wished "Nikki Haley would be stronger about it," again criticizing his rival for saying she would pardon Trump and vote for him if he was a convicted felon.
"And she won't refuse his offer to be vice president with the office. That doesn't sound to me like somebody who's serious about beating Donald Trump," he continued.
He also said Ron DeSantis was "never serious about beating Donald Trump" and Vivek Ramaswamy was "competing with Nikki to be vice president."
"So the only person in this race anymore who's running against Donald Trump is standing right in front of you," Christie told a few dozen people gathered at MaryAnn's Diner. He also took questions for close to an hour, including on LGBTQ rights, China and Ukrainian refugees.
