"Trump's Absence at Iowa Evangelical Gathering Sparks Rival's Hopes for Gaining Ground"

Several Republican presidential candidates, including Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis, and Nikki Haley, addressed a gathering of influential Iowa evangelical Christians at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's annual banquet and town hall, while former President Donald Trump skipped the event. Trump's rivals hoped to gain ground with the devout and well-connected social conservatives who play a decisive role in Iowa's first-in-the-nation Republican caucuses. Despite not attending, Trump has maintained popularity with evangelical Christians and social conservatives, who were pleased with his Supreme Court picks and his stance on abortion. The candidates discussed abortion and gender education in schools, with DeSantis vowing to battle against progressive policies and the "woke ideology."