President Donald Trump says he’ll head to Iowa in the near future.
While discussing his recent rallies on the Todd Starnes Show, Trump said, “We're doing some more … We’re going to Iowa. We’re going to Georgia. We’re going to some others."
Trump’s Save America PAC hired two political operatives from Iowa in early August. A spokesperson for the PAC told Politico that Eric Branstad and Alexander Latcham were hired as part of a “broad political portfolio focused on advancing Save America’s goals of electing strong, Pro-Trump, America First conservatives.”
“Latcham, who worked in the Trump White House in political affairs, moved back to Iowa — the state that typically kicks off the race for the White House — earlier this year. Branstad also lives in Iowa and served as Trump’s Iowa state director. He later worked in the Commerce Department,” per Politico.
The Des Moines Register reports that Trump also “called Republican Party of Iowa Chair Jeff Kaufmann to ask about the mood in Iowa a year after a derecho devastated large swaths of the state. Kaufmann said he did not expect the call, but he also didn't read into any political motivations Trump may have had.”
Iowans' opinion of Trump is divided but equal, according to a June Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll. The poll found 49% saying they had a favorable view of him and 49% saying they had an unfavorable view.
Other possible Republican candidates for 2024 have already begun circling Iowa, which is the first state in the nation to caucus.
Senator Ted Cruz, vice president Mike Pence, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, and Mike Pompeo have all traveled to Iowas for fundraisers this year. Florida Senator Marco Rubio also has events scheduled in Iowa on Monday and Tuesday.
Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota and Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas also made trips to Iowa this year, adding to the pool of prospective candidates.
Jeff Kaufmann is in charge of GOP’s Presidential Nominating Process Committee, a sign that Iowa will once again hold the first caucus. However, the official dates and order of the 2024 presidential primaries are not set.
