Former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will be attending separate campaign events in Iowa on Saturday, each with their own distinct goals that mirror their contrasting positions in the GOP primary.
With a strong lead in both Iowa and national polls, Trump plans to intensify his criticism of President Joe Biden and launch new attacks during his speech in Cedar Rapids, as indicated by a senior campaign aide.
DeSantis is hoping to revitalize his campaign in the Hawkeye State and close the significant gap between himself and Trump, who currently leads the polls. Meanwhile, Trump's attention on Biden, rather than his GOP rivals, indicates a focus on the potential general election rematch and comes as the Biden campaign sharpens its criticism of Trump and highlights his hardline positions on key issues.
"Tomorrow, everyone will experience love, with the main attention being on Biden," said a senior Trump campaign aide in an interview with CNN on Friday.
On Saturday, Trump will host a "Commit to Caucus" event in Ankeny, followed by a speech in Cedar Rapids. DeSantis will be holding an event in Sioux City.
The Florida governor is aiming to complete his tour of all 99 counties in Iowa this weekend, a notable achievement known as the "full Grassley," named after Senator Chuck Grassley. He hopes to leverage endorsements from Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats to build momentum for a late surge in the race.
Additionally, Trump's campaign has launched a six-figure broadcast TV ad buy in Iowa, featuring an ad focused on Biden and another highlighting Governor Reynolds' praise of Trump. Trump has been aggressively targeting Reynolds on social media since she endorsed DeSantis.
Trump's visits to Iowa follow his alarming declaration that repealing and replacing Obamacare would be a priority if he wins reelection. This has caused concern among some Republicans, who consider the issue a political risk and are wary of the party's repeated failure to dismantle the law, which provides coverage to millions of Americans and is generally well-regarded by the public. In response to Trump's comments, the Biden campaign has mobilized high-profile surrogates and released a new ad focusing on healthcare and prescription drug costs.
Despite a rise in polling, Haley does not have any public events scheduled in Iowa this weekend, having recently completed a campaign swing through New Hampshire. However, she received an endorsement from a powerful conservative political advocacy group associated with billionaire Charles Koch, which may bolster her position in the race. This endorsement reflects the growing support for Haley's campaign.
Next week, the fourth Republican presidential debate in Alabama will likely feature Haley and DeSantis, as Trump plans to skip it. Instead, Trump is expected to participate in a prime-time town hall moderated by Fox News host Sean Hannity in Davenport, Iowa the night before. On the night of the debate, he is scheduled to attend a fundraiser in Florida.
Trumps campaigning in Iowa follows a New York appellate court reinstating a gag order that prevents Trump and his attorneys from making public statements about the courtroom staff in his ongoing $250 million civil fraud trial. Trump, a defendant in several cases, has incurred a total of $15,000 in fines for violating the gag order.
