Des Moines, Iowa – The blizzard across Iowa that sidetracked the presidential race three days before the state caucuses was just the first shock.
Frigid temperatures below freezing are expected this weekend and into next week.
And the bitter cold threatens to dampen turnout for Monday night's caucuses, which begin the Republican presidential nominating calendar.
Undeterred by the brutal winter weather, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held an early morning event Friday outside Des Moines.
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Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis of Florida moves through the snow to speak at the Northside Conservative Club meeting in Ankeny, Iowa, Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
“I'm really impressed that so many people came, considering the weather,” DeSantis told the crowd that came to hear him speak at a Northside Conservative Party rally, expressing support for him. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds also addressed the audience. club.
Minutes later, DeSantis vowed in an interview on Fox News Digital, “I'm going to be there,” and as the clock ticked down to the caucuses, “I'm going to spend every minute I can get out the vote.” “I intend to do so,” he emphasized. ”
Mr. DeSantis' first campaign stop of the day was not affected by the weather, but included four other locations in northern, central and eastern Iowa planned by his affiliated super PAC, Never Back Down. The destinations visited have been postponed.
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Mr. DeSantis headed to his campaign headquarters in suburban Des Moines in the afternoon to speak with volunteers who were making calls encouraging supporters to attend Monday's caucuses.
Due to poor road conditions across the Hawkeye State, the campaign of former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley canceled an in-person event Friday and held a teletown hall instead. attended.
“I'm sorry I'm not in Fort Dodge, but it was important to me to talk to you,” Haley emphasized at the beginning of the event.
Republican presidential candidate and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley walks outside for a television interview in the snow during a campaign event at Mickey's Irish Pub on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 in Waukee, Iowa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Custer) (AP Photo/Carolyn Custer)
Of the three major candidates in Iowa on Friday, only billionaire biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy stuck to his in-person campaign schedule despite dangerous weather.
The effects of the winter blast lingered into the weekend, with Donald Trump's campaign canceling three of the former president's four scheduled in-person rallies on Saturday and Sunday.
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The big question going forward is whether subzero temperatures Monday night will reduce turnout.
DeSantis, who is running against Haley for second place in Iowa behind front-runner Trump, according to polls, was confident his supporters would not be deterred by the frigid temperatures.
“We have a lot of people who have signed on to work with us for months on end. They're motivated, they're passionate, and I think they're going to be here.” DeSantis told Fox News. “What will happen to the broader electorate? I don't know. But I'm confident that our people will be strong.”
DeSantis supporters who heard him speak Friday morning agreed.
“A little bit of cold is not going to keep him away,” said Brian Miller of Ankeny, who brought his two young sons to see DeSantis.
And fellow Ankeny resident Laura Murphy said, “This is important. We need people to come out in droves on Monday. We are Iowans. We can handle it.”
Fellow DeSantis supporter Linda Burke said she plans to brave subzero temperatures to attend the caucus Monday night. But Burke, an older voter, added: “For someone my age, it depends on the weather.”
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“We know it's going to be -19 degrees on January 15th. We know we're asking a lot of people to come out and caucus,” Haley told supporters during a teletown hall. “But we also know that we are holding a party convention.” ”
“If you go out, remember to bring your ID with you, and in case there is a line, wear layers of clothing to stay safe,” she stressed.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley's campaign sign is placed on a snowbank in Waukee, Iowa, on January 9, 2024. (Fox News – Deirdre Heavey)
Jeff Kaufman, the longtime Iowa Republican Party chairman, was confident that the frigid temperatures in the forecast would keep Iowans from returning home on caucus night.
“Out of all the snow, ice and cold, the cold is the one I'm least worried about,” he told Fox News on Friday.
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“If it were today, I'd be concerned,” Kaufman said during an interview, referring to the blizzard conditions. “We're going to spend two days clearing the roads on Monday. There doesn't seem to be any ice.” “There doesn't seem to be any wind. Iowans can handle the cold. And they know exactly what to do to protect themselves.”
This was a prediction echoed by former Polk County Republican Chairman Will Rogers.
“Look, we're Iowans. It's January in the Midwest and it's winter. We expect it to be cold,” he told reporters. “Yes, this may be the coldest caucus on record. I still think given the number of campaigns and what they've done, we're going to see a very large turnout.”
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