Former President Donald Trump courted young conservative activists Saturday morning in Des Moines as he kicked off another day of campaigning in the state that will launch the race for the White House in just over a week.
Quick Read
- Engagement with Young Conservatives: Trump courted young conservative activists from Run GenZ in Des Moines, focusing on encouraging them to run for office.
- Surprise Appearance: His visit to the Embassy Suites hotel, where he addressed the members of Run GenZ, was not previously announced, leading to surprise among the audience.
- Caucus Mobilization Effort: Trump’s campaign aims to mobilize thousands of supporters, many of whom have never caucused before, for the Iowa caucus on January 15. This effort is intended to demonstrate his support and organizational strength.
- Scheduled Events in Iowa: Trump planned to hold commit-to-caucus events in Newton and Clinton, Iowa, as part of his campaign activities.
- Competition with Rivals: Trump’s campaign activities in Iowa coincide with those of his chief rivals, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, who are vying for second place and positioning themselves as viable alternatives to Trump.
- Attacks on Nikki Haley: Trump has increased his criticism of Haley, accusing her of being insufficiently conservative and labeling her a “globalist.”
- Highlighting Haley’s Controversial Statements: He emphasized Haley’s recent statements that drew criticism, including her remarks about correcting Iowa’s choices and her response to a question about the cause of the Civil War.
- Haley’s Response: In reaction to Trump’s criticisms, Haley has noted his increased attention and dismisses his claims as untrue, framing them as a sign of his concern about her gaining momentum.
- Reporting and Contributions: This information is reported by Price from Newton, Iowa, and Colvin from New York, with contributions from Steve Peoples in North Liberty, Iowa.
The Associated Press has the story:
Trump courts young voters in Iowa at 2 rallies before Jan. 15 caucuses
Newslooks- DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) —
Former President Donald Trump courted young conservative activists Saturday morning in Des Moines as he kicked off another day of campaigning in the state that will launch the race for the White House in just over a week.
“You’re a good looking crowd … I usually don’t look at people who are this attractive,” Trump quipped to members of Run GenZ, an organization that encourages young conservatives to run for office. Many in the audience at the Embassy Suites hotel in Des Moines seemed surprised to see Trump, whose visit had not been previously announced.
Trump’s campaign is hoping to turn out thousands of supporters who have never caucused before on Jan. 15 as part of a show of force aimed at denying his rivals momentum and demonstrating his organizing prowess heading into the general election.
He is set to hold a pair of commit-to-caucus events later Saturday in Newton in central Iowa and Clinton in the state’s far east. His chief rivals, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, were also campaigning in the state as they battle for second place in hopes of emerging as the most viable alternative to Trump, who is leading by wide margins in early state and national polls.
Trump used his stops in the state on Friday evening to step up his attacks against Haley, who has been gaining ground, accusing her of being insufficiently conservative and a “globalist.”
He also highlighted several recent Haley statements that drew criticism, including her comment that voters in New Hampshire correct Iowa’s mistakes (“You don’t have to be corrected,” he said) and her failure to mention slavery when asked what had caused the Civil War.
“I don’t know if it’s going to have an impact, but you know like … slavery’s sort of the obvious answer as opposed to her three paragraphs of bulls—-,” he told a crowd Friday.
Haley’s campaign has pointed to his escalating attention, including a new attack ad, as evidence Trump is worried about her momentum.
“God bless President Trump, he’s been on a temper tantrum every day about me … and everything he’s saying is not true,” Haley told a crowd Saturday in North Liberty, Iowa.
