July 4 holiday gives no rest for US presidential hopefuls

Republicans look to Independence Day to charm voters

Stars, stripes and socks: Donald Trump's image is printed on a man's socks in South Carolina. Getty / AFP

July 4 is a major holiday in the US, but there will be no time to relax for Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis and other Republicans running for president next year.

They are part of a crowded field of candidates tto close the gap between them and Donald Trump, whose lead in the polls appears unassailable despite a string of criminal charges.

While the rest of the nation is busy celebrating America's Independence Day by eating hot dogs, watching fireworks and trying not to think too much about work, key Republicans will be focused on winning voter approval in a handful of states that hold early primaries and have outsize influence on the presidential selection process.

Mr Pence, who was Mr Trump's loyal vice president but who fell out with his boss after the January 6, 2021, insurrection, will be working the crowds at a July 4 parade in the small city of Urbandale, Iowa.

The Midwestern state with about three million residents will hold its equivalent of a primary, called a caucus, as soon as January 2024.

Historically, a win early on in the race can help to give a candidate momentum and propel them to subsequent wins.

Mr Pence's current approval rating stands at about 6.7 per cent, according to a FiveThirtyEight aggregate of polls, and he has pledged to visit each of Iowa's 99 counties.

Mr Trump meanwhile is polling at 51.8 per cent, while Mr DeSantis is at 23.5 per cent.

Republican presidential candidate Mike Pence addresses the 'National Celebrate Life Day Rally' in Washington on June 24. Reuters

Also campaigning in Iowa on Tuesday will be Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a Republican long-shot presidential candidate who has yet to gain any traction in the polls.

After the Iowa caucus, New Hampshire will be the next state to hold a primary to pick the next Republican presidential candidate.

Mr DeSantis will be visiting on Tuesday and will join two Independence Day parades in a pair of small towns.

The Florida governor has seen his campaign get off to a lousy start, beginning when technical problems on Twitter derailed his announcement.

Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina will also participate in a July 4 parade in New Hampshire. He is polling at 3.7 per cent.

Mr Scott, 57, last year was one of two dozen signatories to a bipartisan letter sent to President Joe Biden before his trip to the Middle East, calling on him to expand the Abraham Accords.

Mr Biden will be hosting a July 4 barbecue at the White House for active-duty military families.

Another important battleground is South Carolina, the first state in the southern US to hold a primary.

Mr Trump at the weekend drew crowds of about 50,000 people when he held a rally in the tiny city of Pickens, with a population of about 3,400.

“There's nowhere else I'd rather be to kick off the Fourth of July weekend than right here on Main Street, with thousands of hardworking South Carolina patriots who believe in God, family and country,” Mr Trump said on Saturday to a roaring crowd.

The heavily Republican area is a popular one for conservative hopefuls and in recent months, other candidates including Mr DeSantis, Mr Pence and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have held events there, as well as the two South Carolinians in the race: former governor Nikki Haley and Mr Scott.

But none drew an audience like Mr Trump, who remains the man to beat in the 2024 Republican primary.

He faces dozens of criminal charges in New York and Florida over his handling of classified information and hush-money payments made in 2016.

But so far at least, his fiercely devoted supporters have dismissed these cases as politically motivated.

2024 Republican presidential candidates – in pictures

Former US president Donald Trump was the first Republican to officially announce his bid for the 2024 election. Reuters

Nikki Haley put her name in for the Republican Party nomination in February. AP

Ms Haley had originally vowed not to stand in the way if Mr Trump was running for president, but became the first major Republican candidate to enter the race against him. AP

Co-founder and executive chairman of Strive Asset Management Vivek Ramaswamy said he'd step down to pursue the Republican nomination. EPA

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, said he intended to run for president again after his failed attempt in 2020. Reuters

Sixteen months after the US Capitol was sacked by a pro-Trump mob chanting 'hang Mike Pence', the target of that fury is making nice with far-right Republicans. AFP

Mr Pence has begun setting aside years of unswerving loyalty to Mr Trump and is showing a newly defiant, independent side as it looks increasingly likely that he will make a bid for the White House. AFP

Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to announce his candidacy for president in the coming weeks or months. AFP

Mr Trump faces an increasingly serious challenge in Mr DeSantis, who is ranking high in 2024 polls. AP

Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina is gauging voter support to explore a presidential campaign. AP

Former US national security adviser John Bolton told The National that he is 'considering running'. AP