Donald Trump Launches Fall Press in Iowa Ahead of 2024 White House Comeback
Key Highlights :
Donald Trump has begun a fall press in Iowa, where he hopes to lock in thousands of Republican caucusgoers in the early-voting state. The former president faces sky-high expectations in the state in his campaign for a White House comeback. On Wednesday, Trump made his first of five Iowa visits planned through the end of October, with the goal of turning his commanding lead in the polls into committed supporters and volunteers.
At a rally in Maquoketa, Trump predicted a “historic landslide” in the Jan. 15 caucuses, urging those in attendance to support him and bring friends along. His campaign aimed to collect signed cards from the crowd pledging to back him in the caucuses, and tables inside the hall promoted the number to sign up for campaign text messages. Trump addressed his 2016 loss at the start of his speech, blaming his previous campaign team.
In Dubuque, Trump laced into Joe Biden, whom he has long treated as his chief target, touting the efforts of his administration to help Iowa farmers and crack down on illegal immigration. Before leaving town, Trump stopped by Kathy’s Treehouse Pub and Eatery, where he signed dollar bills, caps and the tank top — and later, arm — of a woman who bartends at the popular watering hole.
Trump has visited Iowa seven times this year, headlining policy and political events, and he has opted not to attend key multicandidate events in Iowa hosted by influential social conservative groups, an important bloc in the caucuses. More recently, his events have been more akin to photo ops, including shaking hands before attending the Iowa State University football game in Ames this month.
Trump has maintained a larger lead in Iowa than he did in previous contests, but has campaigned in Iowa more often than he has in other early nominating states. His team has been busy in his absence, collecting more than 27,500 pledge cards, including more than 10,000 at the state fair, and amassing more than 200,000 voter contacts, including calls.
Trump remains the early front-runner for the Republican nomination, even as he faces four separate indictments that have resulted in dozens of criminal charges. Several of his rivals have campaigned aggressively in the state, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has pledged to visit all of the state's 99 counties.
At events across Iowa, Trump has been met with cheers and enthusiasm from his supporters. Tracie Kelly, a 48-year-old mother who home-schools her children, called him “the right guy to do the right thing” and noted his appointment of three U.S. Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade.
As Trump's campaign continues to ramp up in Iowa, he is hoping to convert his commanding lead in the polls into committed supporters and volunteers to secure a massive victory that would deny his rivals momentum and effectively end the primary on caucus day.
