Biden in India, Trump and DeSantis visit Iowa and other trail takeaways

Biden will hold a solo press conference in Vietnam on Sunday.

September 9, 2023, 5:23 PM

President Joe Biden greeted world leaders at the G20 summit in India, presidential hopefuls converged on Iowa for a football game, and Gov. Glenn Youngkin stumped for Republicans in Virginia.

Here's what to know from the campaign trail on Saturday.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden attends the launch of the Global Biofuels Alliance at the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, on Sept. 9, 2023.
President Joe Biden attends the launch of the Global Biofuels Alliance at the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, on Sept. 9, 2023.
Evelyn Hockstein/AP

Biden meets world leaders in India

President Joe Biden and the leaders of India, Brazil and South Africa released a joint statement Saturday "to reaffirm our shared commitment to the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation to deliver solutions for our shared world."

"As the G20's current and next three Presidencies, we will build on the historic progress of India's G20 Presidency to address global challenges. In this spirit, together with the World Bank President, we welcome the G20's commitment to build better, bigger, and more effective multilateral development banks. This commitment underscores what we can do, by working together through the G20, to support our people toward a better future," the statement said.

Biden also met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on the sidelines of the summit and announced plans to welcome him to the White House in November for a bilateral meeting, per the White House.

On Sunday, Biden will hold a solo press conference in Vietnam, where he will travel to after visiting the Raj Ghat Memorial with G20 leaders in India.

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump throws a football to the crowd during a visit to the Alpha Gamma Rho, fraternity, at Iowa State University before an NCAA college football game between Iowa State and Iowa, on Sept. 9, 2023, in Ames, Iowa.
Former President Donald Trump throws a football to the crowd during a visit to the Alpha Gamma Rho, agricultural fraternity, at Iowa State University before an NCAA college football game between Iowa State and Iowa, on Sept. 9, 2023, in Ames, Iowa.
Charlie Neibergall/AP

Trump, DeSantis play political football

Several presidential candidates converged in Iowa on Saturday to watch the Iowa Hawkeyes take on the Iowa State Cyclones -- but the political stunts surrounding the football game at times drew attention away from the main event.

Hours before the game, a banner asking, "Where's Melania?" -- seemingly a reference to former first lady Melania Trump -- waved from a plane flying above Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. While Trump has been noticeably absent from the campaign trail, former President Donald Trump then met supporters at the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, an agricultural house, before attending the game Saturday night.

Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tailgated with supporters of both schools and announced that he'd be attending the event alongside Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds -- who has attracted Trump's ire for her decision not to make an endorsement in the Republican presidential primary.

"I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform in July. "Now, she wants to remain 'NEUTRAL.' I don't invite her to events!"

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were also expected to attend the game.

Youngkin stumps in Virginia

After speaking at a rally for a candidate for Virginia's House of Delegates on Saturday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin told ABC News that "Virginia's future is at stake" this election.

"These are, I think, the most important elections in the country," Youngkin told ABC News of the Virginia.

But alluding to the national impact that Republicans taking full control of the general assembly -- a possibility given the series of close races expected this November -- Youngkin said a winning message in the commonwealth could resonate with voters nationwide.

"What's at stake, of course, is not only Virginia's future or this," Younkin said. "But I think also demonstrating that the issues in Virginia are the issues that are on all voters' minds. [The] future of our economy and jobs."

With Youngkin nationalizing Virginia's legislative races this year, questions have also swirled about his political future. He is term-limited as governor but has not conclusively shut the door on a late-breaking bid for the White House in 2024.

When asked on CNN in July whether he thought he could be a primary challenger to Trump given that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is trailing in the early polls, Youngkin said that he's "focused on 2023."

ABC News' Hannah Demissie, Isabella Murray, and Will McDuffie contributed to this report.