Trump heads to Iowa as gossip in 2024 increases

Donald trumpDonald TrumpOvernight Energy & Environment – Biden formalizes return to pre-Trump national monuments boundaries Overnight Defense & National Security – China tells US to keep troops out of Taiwan On The Money – Presented by NRHC – Break September Slow Jobs Report PLUS sends the clearest signals yet that he’s planning another presidential race in 2024 as he travels to Iowa for a rally this weekend.

Saturday’s event in the nation’s first state caucus is the latest sign the former president is gearing up for a third White House candidacy, as he also distributes mid-term supports, hires assistants in locations like Iowa and boasts in media interviews of what he sees as a descent path to victory in a 2024 GOP primary.

After it was reported this week that aides had to prevent him from officially announcing an offer, Republicans regard a Trump candidacy as a virtual certainty.

“I think he’s already here and he’s just waiting to make it official,” said one Republican who spoke to Trump. “His goal right now is to make sure Republicans win in 2022, and I don’t think he wants to do anything that will distract from that.”

At least on the surface, Saturday’s rally in Des Moines will stick to that stated goal. Trump will be joined by several Republican officials who face re-election next year, including Senator Kim Reynolds. Chuck grassleyChuck Grassley Photos of the week: Manchin, California oil spill and a catwalk dog The memo: Trump’s new revelations bolster criticism as fans shrug. and Representatives Ashley Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks.

Yet the symbolism behind Trump’s visit to the country’s first state caucus cannot be ignored. Presidential candidates often start traveling to Iowa years before announcing their campaigns to meet with local and local GOP leaders and mingle with voters.

David Kochel, a seasoned Republican strategist from Iowa, downplayed the importance of Trump’s visit to Hawkeye state, noting that the former president has held rallies in other states that haven’t had as many of importance in the first nomination contest, such as Georgia and Ohio.

But Kochel also said Trump had “given every indication that he was seriously considering” another presidential bid. If he ultimately decides to go ahead with a campaign, Kochel said, “Iowa seems like pretty safe Trump territory.”

“He has all the resources, he has 100% name identification, he still has the support of most of the grassroots people who are the primary voters and decide these things, he got his hands on all the levers. he needs to be successful in a primary, ”Kochel said.

In fact, Trump appears to be experiencing some sort of resurgence in Iowa. A Des Moines Register / Mediacom Iowa poll released this week found that 53% of Iowans have a favorable opinion of Trump, while 45% have an unfavorable opinion – a far better performance than at any time during his presidency.

By comparison, only 37% of Iowans said they had a favorable opinion of Biden, while 61% said they had an unfavorable opinion of the president.

Trump was not shy about a possible comeback offer. He teased the idea both in public and in private for months, often saying his supporters would be “very happy” with his final decision. And after a year of sporadic appearances and interviews, he is expected to step up his travel schedule in the coming months.

The former president is also firing warning shots at potential candidates for the 2024 GOP nomination. His PAC leadership, Save America, announced in August that he had hired two staff in Iowa who, among other things, will help Trump keep an eye on his top potential opponents as they make their way to the state.

In a recent interview with Yahoo Finance, Trump dismissed potential GOP rivals, including the governor of Florida. Ron DeSantisRon DeSantis Democratic anxiety rises as Trump’s candidacy looks more likely. The Florida Board of Education approves sanctions against eight school districts over coronavirus warrants., claiming that “most people would give up” if he entered the 2024 race and that even if they didn’t, he would beat them easily.

“If I faced [DeSantis], I would beat him like I would beat everyone, ”Trump said, adding,“ I think most people would give up. I think he would give up.

Still, some Republicans say it’s hard to discern whether the former president, who teased several presidential candidacies before pulling the trigger in 2016, is engaging in any real political posture or if he’s just trying to stay. under the projectors.

His. Joni ErnstJoni Kay Ernst Photos of the week: Manchin, California oil spill and podium dog Senate GOP seeks bipartisan panel to investigate Afghanistan withdrawal (R-Iowa), who is due to leave the country this weekend and will not attend Saturday’s rally, told The Hill that the likelihood of Trump hosting another presidential race appears to “change every two weeks.” Nonetheless, she said, the former president remains widely popular among Iowa voters.

“I still think he will have to make that decision,” Ernst said of Trump’s possible 2024 candidacy. “I can only speak for Iowa, but a lot of Iowans are really, really behind him. . They watch what President BidenJoe BidenMcConnell promises GOP won’t help raise debt ceiling in December after Schumer Ilhan Omar’s ‘tantrum’ to Biden: ‘Keep your promise to cancel student debt’ vaccine for children MORE done, and they are absolutely disgusted with what they see in terms of politics. So I think he has an opportunity there.

Indeed, Biden’s declining political fortunes have only fueled Trump’s interest in a 2024 candidacy. summer increase in new COVID-19 infections and the chaotic withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.

The Washington Post reported this week that Trump was so moved by the United States’ disorderly exit from Afghanistan that he almost announced a 2024 campaign. His advisers ultimately dissuaded him, warning that such a move could do harm Republicans’ efforts to win back the House and Senate in the 2022 midterm elections.

And while an announcement isn’t imminent, Trump’s allies have very little doubt that he will eventually intervene.

“I think if he had to make a decision today, I think we all know the answer would probably be yes,” said a global agent for Trump. “And I think, unless something out of the blue comes up to talk him out of it, I think it’s almost a guarantee that he’s running again.” I think that’s the situation right now, that unless something drastically changes, it’s not just him teasing him so that he ultimately doesn’t run.

His. Lindsey grahamLindsey Olin GrahamGOP tries to relieve Manchin of obstruction pressure, Sinema Senate approves short-term debt ceiling increase Key debt limit vote sparks major fight among Senate Republicans MORE (RS.C.), one of Trump’s staunchest allies in the Senate, said early entry into the next presidential race would give Democrats more time to attack the former president, although it would also allow him step up its fundraising efforts. Nonetheless, he predicted that Trump would become the “most viable candidate in the running.”

“I know he’s excited to be in the race,” Graham told The Hill. “There is a good and a bad side. The sooner he comes in, the more they can attack him, right? But also the more money he can collect.

Money is unlikely to be a problem for Trump as he weighs another presidential candidacy. It has a network of well-funded outside groups behind it, and its leadership PAC, Save America, has said it has more than $ 90 million in cash on hand before the second half of 2021.

Despite Trump’s outsized presence in GOP politics, some Republican donors are keeping their options open. One donor said he was not ruling out backing another Trump candidacy, but was also considering other potential candidates, noting that the political landscape could change dramatically by the time of the 2024 nominating competition.

Trump’s grassroots popularity is expected to be on full display in Iowa on Saturday, and a boisterous crowd would no doubt be seen as yet another sign of the former president’s continuing influence over voters in the crucial state caucus.

A resounding victory in state caucuses in 2024 would only cement the nomination, but with expectations so high, anything but a solid performance is seen as fatal for a comeback offer.

“I don’t know how vigorously anyone who might stay in the race would compete with him in Iowa, because I think it’s pretty clear that he’s very popular with Republicans in Iowa,” Kochel said. “But I would say if he was challenged in Iowa and somebody actually, you know, Ted cruzRafael (Ted) Edward Cruz McConnell promises GOP will not help raise debt ceiling in December after Schumer’s Senate approves increase in short-term debt ceiling Key vote on debt limit debt sparks major fight among Senate Republicans MORE comes in and actually wins the Iowa caucuses, I think that would be the story of the primary. So I think the expectations are extremely high in Iowa. “

Alexander Bolton contributed.