Ahead of the Jan. 15 caucuses, Donald Trump delivered his final appeal to Iowa voters in hopes of a 2024 presidential victory.
At the campaign rally, on Saturday. Jan 6., in Clinton, Iowa, Trump continued to fuel high expectations despite uncertainties surrounding the effectiveness of his voter-turnout operation.
"Don't stay home, just please, the polls are showing we're going to win by a lot. The worst thing you can do is say, 'Let's just stay home, Alice. Let's watch it on television.' We don't want to do that. You gotta get out because the more we win by - we're shooting for November because we want to send a message. We can't be beaten." Politico reported.
"Pretend you're one point down. You're one point down," Trump yelled. "You have to get out, and you have to vote, vote, vote."
Politico claims his speech hit a number of familiar themes, from the southern border to inflation and attacks against President Joe Biden, who Trump painted as an incompetent president.
ABC News reports that all through last year he has had to manage his court appearances amidst campaign rallies, frequently appearing at multiple courthouses for arraignments and witness testimonies. Additionally, reports indicate that he was required to take a mugshot. ABC News also revealed that he faces 91 felony counts across four criminal cases as well as a civil fraud trial in New York. He has pleaded not guilty and denied all wrongdoing.
This coming Tuesday, just days out from the Iowa caucuses, Trump is planning to appear at the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., as it hears arguments on his efforts to dismiss the federal election subversion case citing presidential immunity -- while his contender's campaign in Iowa. If Trump falls short of meeting expectations with a significant win in Iowa, it could leave him more vulnerable as he proceeds to campaign in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continue to invest millions of dollars in Iowa advertising as they travel across the state, supported by well-funded allies aiming to mobilize voters and reduce Trump's margin of victory.
Still, Trump's backing in the state appears strong, as reflected not only in the polls where he consistently holds a significant lead over his opponents, as per 538's Iowa polling average but also through the abundance of yard signs visible while driving through small towns in Iowa. Furthermore, his visits continue to draw thousands of devoted supporters at every gathering.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who has endorsed Haley and spent the weekend campaigning with her across Iowa, conceded that "it will be tough" to beat Trump here.
"There's obviously a strong implication Trump's gonna likely win the Iowa caucus," Sununu told The Associated Press, even as he insisted momentum was building for Haley that will show up more clearly in New Hampshire's Jan. 23 first-in-the-nation primary. "In New Hampshire, she clearly has a chance to do something no one thought was possible, which was to beat Trump in an early state."
