'Fox & Friends' co-host Ainsley Earhardt talks love for Iowa during broadcast at Machine Shed

"It's Friday and we are live in Iowa this morning!"

"Fox & Friends" co-host Ainsley Earhardt spoke into a microphone at Machine Shed in Urbandale flanked by a conservative crowd. The group gathered for an extra helping of cable news fame with their early morning coffee Friday as Earhardt hosted the show's "Breakfast with Friends" segment live from the comfort food restaurant.

During the "Breakfast with Friends" segment, Earhardt and her co-hosts Brian Kilmeade and Steve Doocy will rotate as they travel across the country to discuss voters' values and priorities ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

"We just started doing this, so the three anchors, we just take turns, and we go to different diners around the country, especially during the election cycle, and we talk to regular people," she told the Des Moines Register.

The three-hour show featured glimpses of Iowa voters' preferences ahead of the Iowa caucuses and an appearance by Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

As Kilmeade and Doocy sat on the famed white coaches in the show's New York City-based studio, the South Carolina native sprinkled in the occasional "y'all" and references to Waffle House restaurants back home.

Earhardt said her visits to the Hawkeye State remind her of her Southern upbringing.

"Just lovely folks here. Everyone's so nice to me. I've never met anyone from Iowa that is rude or not involved in politics in some form or fashion, (and) doesn't care about making America the best it can be," Earhardt said in a Register interview.

Earhardt passes out cinnamon rolls, speaks about voter priorities

During short breaks, she read through scripts and penciled in notes while talking briefly with a producer. She interviewed 17-year-old conservative talking head Brilyn Hollyhand and took selfies alongside members of the Westside Conservative Club. The room gave her a round of applause after she poured black coffee.

"All for TV," she joked in response.

Later, the longtime Fox co-host served cinnamon rolls to patrons sitting at wood tables and booths. Earhardt spoke with Iowans throughout the show who were concerned about a range of issues.

"What I've heard today mostly is the economy. I've heard a little bit from Moms for Liberty back here. They're worried about schools, and, you know, being able to have parents' rights at schools and school board meetings and things like that," she said to the Register. "Another lady back here was worried about immigration and the border and those are probably the three top issues that I've heard the most this morning."

The co-hosts discussed daily topics that mattered to viewers, such as climate activists disrupting a U.S. Open semifinal featuring American pro tennis phenom Coco Gauff on Thursday.

Earhardt chose a floral blouse with blue jeans and camel brown boots instead of a checkered top as her Fox fill-in Carley Shimkus had suggested that she wear earlier this week on air.

After a four-minute-long talk with Ramaswamy featuring viewer questions near the end of a show, she sent it back to Kilmeade and Doocy.

Editor's note: The spelling of Steve Doocy's name was corrected.

Jay Stahl is an entertainment reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow him on Instagram or reach out at jstahl@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 'Fox & Friends' co-host Ainsley Earhardt broadcasts in Iowa