dinner. just a couple hours later. joining me now from cedar rapids, iowa is nbc's vaughn hilliard. i know you were there in des moines yesterday, but beto's announcement. how is that playing amongst supporters right there on the ground in iowa? >> reporter: kendis, beto o'rourke, in fact, his father supposed to here. we're in cedar rapids, two hours east of des moines where the announcement was made yesterday. eight candidates are here at this fish fry here. cory booker, the new jersey senator, up onstage now. beto o'rourke was supposed to attend this event as well as an naacp forum in des moines as well as an accessibility forum here in cedar rapids as well. it's notable. you see this field slowly begin to narrow. you have 13 candidates addressing an arena of more than 10,000 individuals last night, and it was quite stunning at the news of beto o'rourke dropping out, came out just two hours before beto o'rourke was