It Begins: 2016 Republican Hopefuls Descend on Iowa for Freedom Summit

DES MOINES, Iowa — Several potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates are here in Des Moines for the Iowa Freedom Summit this weekend, hosted by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) and Citizens United.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, Dr. Ben Carson, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, real estate magnate and reality television star Donald Trump, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and more will speak on Saturday at the summit—which is really the official beginning of the 2016 GOP presidential race. A few notable potential GOP presidential candidates—Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush—will not be in attendance.

Other major speakers set to address the sold-out conference include former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton, Iowa’s U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst—who just delivered the GOP response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union—Reps. Rod Blum (R-IA), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, former South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, New Hampshire state representative William O’Brien, and pollster Kellyanne Conway.

Breitbart News radio will be carrying many of the speeches and live interviews from the scene of the event all day Saturday and will air many more details on Sunday night, airing on Sirius XM Patriot Channel 125.

“The Freedom Summit will focus on how we can get America back on track by focusing on our core conservative principles of pro-growth economics, social conservatism, and a strong national defense,” the website of the event says. “This must-attend summit in the Hawkeye State is free to the public and will be held at the historical Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines nearly a year before the pivotal Iowa Caucuses.”