DES MOINES, Iowa—As Iowa’s leadoff caucuses approach, Democratic presidential hopefuls are vying for the nomination and President Trump is showing off his campaign muscle.
But for the Republicans seeking to wrest the GOP nomination from the incumbent, Iowa largely presents an opportunity to remind voters that they exist.
The Republican outcome in Iowa and beyond is considered a foregone conclusion, with the party firmly behind the president. Still, former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld are pitching themselves as alternatives to Mr. Trump, arguing that some voters may be receptive to another GOP approach.
“I believe in my bones that Donald Trump is unfit,” said Mr. Walsh, 58, who served in Congress for one term. “And I thought it was really important that there was a Republican out there—a Republican—every day making that case. I knew it would be difficult.”
It’s been an uphill battle. A number of states have canceled their Republican primaries and caucuses this year, a move both parties have made when there is an incumbent president. State party operations are strongly behind Mr. Trump, and 91% of Republicans approve of his job performance, according to a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.
The challenge for GOP challengers was evident Friday night in Des Moines, as Mr. Walsh appeared at a community forum put on by urban groups. As he was questioned about issues like climate change, minimum wage and sentencing laws, there appeared to be few Republicans in the crowd.
At one point, Mr. Walsh jokingly said: “You probably won’t caucus for me. It’s great to be here.”
Mr. Walsh acknowledged during his remarks that he had supported President Trump before turning on the president, saying, “If I could take that vote back, I would,” and adding that any of the Democratic options would be “better in the White House.” A former radio show host, Mr. Walsh has a history of controversial comments, including the false suggestion that President Obama is a Muslim. Mr. Walsh has expressed regret for those remarks in a New York Times opinion piece.
While Mr. Walsh has made a number of trips to Iowa, Mr. Weld, 74, has put more attention on New Hampshire. Still, he was coming to Iowa on Saturday for his own campaign events, touting an endorsement from former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach, a Republican.
Calling his Iowa expectations “modest,” Mr. Weld said he wants people “to understand that there is an alternative to the president to anybody who may not be totally bought in to everything.”
Mr. Weld emphasized that he was pitching himself as an economic conservative with concerns about environmental protections. He said he disagreed with Mr. Trump’s trade policies and stressed that he had concerns about the president’s fitness for office.
Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh showed little concern about the president’s intraparty foes.
“We spend zero time thinking about anything else other than beating whoever the Democratic opponent is,” he said.
While the caucus results aren’t in doubt, Mr. Trump is using the moment to unleash a show of campaign strength. He held a massive rally in Des Moines Thursday night and is sending roughly 80 surrogates to the state on caucus night, seeking to boost enthusiasm for Monday night, as well as build his organization for the general election.
Asked about the prospects for Mr. Walsh and Mr. Weld, Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann was blunt.
“They are not taking Iowa seriously and my expectation is that Iowans are not going to take them seriously,” he said, adding that “even if they were spending time here, I don’t know what case would be made.”
Mr. Walsh and Mr. Weld, who are friendly with each other, both argued the party was controlled by the president. “The state party in every state is the Trump organization,” Mr. Weld said.
Write to Catherine Lucey at catherine.lucey@wsj.com
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