At Unusual Iowa Event, GOP Candidates Share Powerful Personal Stories Fueling Pro-Life Beliefs

A trio of presidential hopefuls refrained from attacking each other. But one drew a strong contrast between himself and President Trump, who skipped the event.

2024 Republican Presidential Candidates Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Nikki Haley speak with President and CEO of The Family Leader Bob Vander Plaats at the Thanksgiving Family Forum at the downtown Marriott in Des Moines, Iowa, on Nov. 17, 2023. Jim Vondruska/Getty Images

DES MOINES, Iowa–Seated at a mock Thanksgiving dinner table decorated with autumn leaves, a trio of presidential candidates politely took turns going “beyond the talking points” to explain why they value “the sanctity of life.”

In response to that question from a moderator at the 2023 Presidential Thanksgiving Family Forum here on Friday, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis revealed the sorrow they felt as each of their wives suffered an initial miscarriage.