Donald Trump gave a speech in Iowa after he lost the 2016 GOP caucuses in which he declared his undying devotion to the state and hinted that he would move there and buy a farm.
On Monday, March 13, 2023 the ex-president came back to the area, not to check on a farm he didn’t buy, but rather to court swing voters who, he thinks, would send him back to the White House. In the evening, Trump traveled to eastern Iowa, the site of the first-in-the-nation Republican caucuses.
At a café, he took pictures with guests and spoke up about his chances of winning the state, which escaped him seven years ago. He seemed to be in a particularly pleasant mood with no sign that the legal issues surrounding him were weighing on him.
He did show some sass on occasion, calling Florida Governor Ron DeSantis a “disciple” of “RINO loser” and “former House Speaker Paul Ryan.” DeSantis is widely considered to be Trump’s most formidable political rival. “I don’t believe he’s going to be doing so great here,” Trump remarked of DeSantis.
What did Trump Say to his Team about the 2016 Lowa Caucuses?
Trump has privately told his team that he does not want a repetition of the 2016 Iowa caucuses where he came in second place to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz because he felt he was out-organized by his primary opponents.
He has told others how Ivanka Trump visited an Iowa caucus site and was disappointed to find the campaign had a minimal presence there.
The Monday meeting was an early effort to avoid a repeat of those mistakes. It happened only a few days after DeSantis made his own Iowa debut during which he also visited Davenport, a city on Iowa’s eastern border that is frequently visited by presidential candidates.
Since his memoir was just released, DeSantis has been touring early primary states to drum up support for himself as the Republican nominee set off on a journey through the early states to promote his memoir.
A number of potential candidates have recently visited Iowa including Nikki Haley, a former ambassador to the United Nations who announced her candidacy last month and Tim Scott, a senator from South Carolina.
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How did the Trip of Donald Trump Begin?
The trip began with the former president hopping aboard his own plane branded by aides as “Trump Force One” which is outfitted with gold-emblazoned seats and a sound system that blares oldies like “Phantom of the Opera.” A little after 2 p.m. Senior advisors Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita and Brian Jack boarded the plane with him in West Palm Beach.
With him was Matt Whittaker, an Iowa native and his acting attorney general. Several Iowans have been less than enthusiastic about Trump’s comeback. Trump’s 2024 bid is met with skepticism from some members of the state’s influential evangelical voting group.
Bob Vander Plaats, a prominent Evangelical in the state who backed Cruz in 2016 but has since discouraged Trump from running in 2024 is one such example. While the organization is usually a big factor in determining the outcome of caucuses, Trump has been making early advances in the state.
Over the past two years, he has taken up full-page ads in Iowa Republican Party publications arguing that the state should maintain its position as the first in the nomination calendar.
Jeff Kaufmann, chairman of the Iowa Republican Party was a prominent speaker at a rally he held in Sioux City last year and Bobby Kaufmann, state representative and the chairman’s son has recently been named as a senior adviser.
Alex Latcham and Eric Branstad, the son of longtime former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad are two additional Iowa operatives who have been providing assistance. Trump’s campaign is seen as more seasoned and well-prepared than the one he fielded in 2016 by many members of the party.
In the current contest, there are several contenders. Eighty percent of Iowa Republicans have a positive impression of Trump while seventy-five percent have a positive impression of DeSantis, according to a poll.
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What did Trump do when he Landed at Quad City International Airport?
After landing at Quad City International Airport, Trump met with reporters and bragged about his previous victories in Iowa in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. He also voiced confidence that Republican Governor Kim Reynolds would back him, considering his prior endorsement of her.
Reynolds’s friends and family, though claim she hasn’t made up her mind about running. She has made public appearances with DeSantis, Haley and Scott in recent days. The Machine Shed in Davenport was Trump’s first stop after leaving the airport. There, he posed for selfies with patrons and enquired about the quality of the meal.
“They’re right about it,” Trump remarked as he posed for photos with a group of fans wearing “Trump Wins” T-shirts.
Trump’s motorcade snaked to the Adler Theatre, where he spoke to a boisterous crowd of over 3,500 people and bragged about his record, attacked former Vice President Joe Biden and poked fun at Governor Ron DeSantis saying that he had supported cutting agricultural subsidies and had pushed to reduce entitlement programs.
As the former president vowed to defend Medicare and Social Security, he was greeted with cheers. Donald Trump’s campaign used the rally to establish a foothold in the state.
A senior Republican strategist in Iowa who is critical of Trump, David Kochel claimed that Trump is in a position where he certainly should win Iowa, given that he is the former president and starts with a ton of crucial contacts and a significant base of support. Yet, as Kochel pointed out, victory was far from assured.
Kochel remarked that it seems as though many people are “keeping their options open” checking out new entrants to the sector. But, another Republican strategist in the area, Nick Ryan has labeled Trump “the favorite” due to his long history of success in office.
“Defeating him would require anyone to propose a credible alternative,” Ryan added. Time, effort and maybe some luck are required for that.
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