The Republican presidential primary race unofficially kicks off

The 2016 Republican presidential primary race unofficially kicked off this weekend with about a dozen potential candidates taking the stage at two GOP star-powered events. The first event was the Iowa Freedom summit, which was held all day Saturday. It was co-hosted by Citizens United and immigration hardliner Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa). The second event dubbed the American Recovery Policy Forum took place Sunday night in California. It was sponsored by Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, a conservative group that has ties with billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch. The event by the Koch brothers was closed off to the public but members of the media were able to watch it through a live stream video. SEE ALSO: Sen. Ernst promises Republicans will focus on Americans’ concerns Both events gave a glimpse of how the GOP presidential primary run will look like. They gathered a long list of potential Republican presidential hopefuls who made their case to an audience of influential voters, many of them with deep pockets. Two big names missing at both events were 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. The two likely Republican presidential candidates were invited to the Iowa Freedom Summit but didn’t attend. Only Bush was invited to the event organized by the Koch brothers, according to The Wall Street Journal. Iowa Freedom Summit At the Iowa summit, which ended after nine straight hours of speeches by nearly a dozen potential 2016 contenders, King seemed optimistic that the next president spoke at the summit. “Do you believe that the next president of the United States is going to be speaking from this stage to you today?” King said, as the crowd responded with applause. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker were the clear favorites as both won over the crowd with their speeches. SEE ALSO: The Lone Hispanic Ultra Conservative – Ted Cruz Cruz talked about his plan to “reignite the miracle of America.” He also distinguished himself as someone who has proven to fight for, not just talk about, conservative values. Walker also cast himself as a conservative who has proven to fight for conservative values. He talked about the death threats he received as he pushed for legislation to roll back collective bargaining rights for public employees. Some of the other potential 2016 contenders who attended the Iowa summit included former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Immigration was one of the hot topics discussed at the Iowa Freedom Summit. The speakers talked about strengthening border security and prioritizing American workers over undocumented workers. In his opening address, King said Dreamers come from another “planet.” He misspoke at first, saying: “We’re a great people. We have a vitality that’s unequaled on the planet. We come from every possible planet, uh, every possible continent.” King’s comments prompted laughter from the audience. Then, after a short pause, he referenced a group of Dreamers who were outside protesting the event. “They’re across the street, those people that come from the other planet,” he said, inciting more laughs and applause from the crowd. SEE ALSO: Steve King criticizes Obama for inviting ‘a deportable’ to SOTU Later in the day, a group of Dreamers interrupted Perry’s speech as they held up signs that read, “Deportable?” They were referring to a comment King made last week about Ana Zamora, an undocumented college student who was invited to sit with First Lady Michelle Obama at last week’s State of the Union address. Moments later, another Dreamer interrupted Christie’s speech. A total of 13 Dreamers were escorted out of the summit and two were arrested, according to the Dream Action Coalition, which organized the protest. American Recovery Policy Forum The American Recovery Policy Forum organized by a group aligned with the Koch brothers gathered a smaller number of potential Republican presidential candidates. Cruz was the only possible GOP presidential candidate who attended both the Iowa summit and Koch brothers’ event, which was held at a luxury resort near Palm Springs. Joining Cruz at the Koch brothers’ event were Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, both of whom were invited to the Iowa Summit but didn’t attend. The three Republicans faced off during a 90-minute forum that some say gave an early glimpse of the coming Republican presidential primary debates. During the forum, ABC News’ Jonathan Karl asked them several domestic policy questions, including whether they think there should be a federal minimum wage. Rubio said it wouldn’t be practical to repeal the federal minimum wage, while Cruz and Paul didn’t give a clear yes or no answer. SEE ALSO: A Marco Rubio 2016 presidential run appears closer to reality On foreign policy issues, the three likely presidential candidates were asked questions about the United States moving to restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba. Rubio and Cruz, both sons of Cuban immigrants, said they opposed the steps President Barack Obama announced in December to “end an outdated approach” on Cuba. Meanwhile, Paul reiterated his support for president’s move to normalize relations with Cuba, saying a policy of isolationism toward Cuba hasn’t worked. “We’ve tried an embargo for 50 years. It hasn’t worked,” Paul said, according to Politico. Rubio disagreed, saying that normalizing ties with Cuba won’t result in more economic freedom or democracy in Cuba. Instead, he said it would “result in billions more for the Castro regime,” according to The Hill.The post The Republican presidential primary race unofficially kicks off appeared first on Voxxi.