Trump returned to Iowa, with a plan to avoid the missteps he made in 2016

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He is in remarkably good shape, with little indication that the legal problems surrounding him are causing him any stress. In fact, he was spirited at times, going after his top potential opponent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whom he derided as a “disciple” of former House Speaker Paul Ryan, “a RINO loser.”

“To be honest with you, I don’t think he’s going to do well here,” Trump said of DeSantis.

He’s also accessible, talking to the press corps on multiple occasions and even giving the audience a chance to ask him questions. It feels, at times, reminiscent of that 2016 run, when he blanketed the airwaves and made himself a fixture in mainstream outlets en route to a shock win in the primary and general election.

Privately, Trump has made it clear to his team that he doesn’t want a repeat of what happened in Iowa in 2016, where he felt disorganized by his primary opponents and finished second to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. He recalled to the crowd that his daughter, Ivanka, showed up at an Iowa caucus site only to note that the campaign had little presence there.

Monday’s visit was an initial attempt to avoid repeating those missteps. It comes just days after DeSantis made his own Iowa debut — a trip that also took him to Davenport, a city that borders the state’s eastern side and is a regular stop for White House seekers. DeSantis, widely viewed as Trump’s most formidable potential primary opponent, is promoting his newly released memoir in states that also happen to be early-primaries. is embarking on a tour of the former states as he promotes his newly released memoir. Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley visited the state after launching her bid last month, and another prospective candidate, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, also recently stopped by Iowa.

The trip began with the former president boarding his personal plane — dubbed “Trump Force One” by aides, and complete with gold-emblazoned seats and a sound system that cranks out oldies and “Phantom of the Opera.” — shortly after 2 pm He was joined on the flight from West Palm Beach by a cadre of senior advisers, including Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita and Brian Jack. He was also joined by Matt Whittaker, who served as his acting attorney general and is an Iowa native.

Not everyone in Iowa is eager for a Trump revival. Some of the state’s influential evangelical voting bloc have cooled on the 2024 bid of the thrice-married Trump. Bob Vander Plaats, a longtime evangelical figure in the state who endorsed Cruz over Trump in 2016, even urged Trump not to enter the 2024 race.

But Trump is making early moves in the state, where the organization typically plays a large part in determining the outcome of the caucuses. He advocated for Iowa to remain first on the party’s nominating calendar — a cause near and dear to the state’s conservative activists — and for the last two years has placed full-page advertisements in Iowa Republican publications. Party. He featured the chairman of the Iowa GOP, Jeff Kaufmann, at a rally he held in Sioux City last year, and he recently tapped Kauffman’s son, Rep. Bobby Kaufmann of the state, to be senior adviser. Two other Iowa operatives, Alex Latcham and Eric Branstad, are the sons of longtime former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, also assisted.

Within many corners of the party, Trump’s campaign is seen as more experienced and better prepared than his 2016 campaign.

The current race is competitive: A poll released by the Des Moines Register last week showed Trump and DeSantis with similar favorability numbers among state Republicans — with 80 percent expressing a favorable view of the former. president, compared to 75 percent for DeSantis.

Speaking to reporters at Quad City International Airport upon his arrival, Trump expressed confidence in his prospects in the state and said he won Iowa in the 2016 and 2020 general elections. He also expressed optimism that he will have the support of the state’s Republican governor, Kim Reynolds, who has endorsed him in the past. (Those close to Reynolds, however, say he remains uncommitted to the race. In recent days, he has appeared with DeSantis, Haley and Scott.)

After leaving the airport, Trump headed to the Machine Shed restaurant in Davenport, where he posed for pictures with customers and asked them how the food was.

“They’re right about that,” Trump said as he posed for photos with a group of supporters wearing “Trump Won” T-shirts.

Trump’s motorcade pulled up to the Adler Theater where, in front of a raucous crowd of more than 3,500, Trump shared his record, bashed President Joe Biden and blasted DeSantis, saying the governor supported curbing subsidies to agriculture and pushed to restore entitlement programs. . The former president drew applause when he promised to protect Medicare and Social Security.

Trump’s team used the event to lay the groundwork for their organization in the state: Advisers said they had collected the data — including names, home and email addresses and cell phone numbers — and would use the information to help ensure that supporters participate in next year’s caucuses.

David Kochel, a prominent Iowa-based GOP strategist and Trump critic, said Trump “is in a position where he should win Iowa, because he’s the former president and starts with a ton of key contacts and a huge support base .” But, Kochel added, a win is no sure thing.

“It looks like a lot of people are keeping their options open, looking at who’s going to join the field,” Kochel said.

But Nick Ryan, another Republican strategist in the state, called Trump “the favorite,” because of his past role.

“For anyone to beat him they have to offer a compelling alternative,” Ryan said. “That takes a lot of time, a lot more work and a little bit of luck.”

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