On Tuesday, President Trump urged Iowa voters to help secure a Republican majority in Congress for the remainder of his term. He indicated that if Democrats succeed in the upcoming midterm elections, it would lead to weakened immigration enforcement, stalled economic progress, and, potentially, his impeachment.
Addressing a rally in Clive, a suburb of Des Moines, he remarked, “We must not forget what that group of idiots did to this country. We have to win the midterm elections.” Trump emphasized the benefits of lower mortgage rates, inflation, and tax cuts on tips, overtime pay, Social Security, and auto loans, asserting he is working to make “America affordable again,” countering the Democrats’ focus on affordability issues.
“A few months back, I first heard the election framed around affordability. It’s funny because they are the ones who caused the problem, but nobody seems to remember that,” he commented, adding, “People forget. They say, ‘Oh, it’s affordable, let’s vote Democrat.’ Those policies led to significant price hikes.”
Trump cautioned that failing to win the midterms could result in losing various policies and tax cuts that were currently benefiting Americans. During a mostly scripted speech, he reiterated that a win for Democrats “would be very bad.” He expressed his love for Iowa, saying, “I’m here to start a campaign to win the midterm elections. We’re going to work hard and we have great candidates.”
Several of these candidates spoke before him; Trump had previously won Iowa three times, overcoming decades of Democratic dominance in the state.
Currently, Republicans hold three of Iowa’s four House seats. The most vulnerable incumbent, Rep. Zach Nunn, spoke ahead of Trump. Nunn, who benefited from Trump’s popularity two years ago, managed a 3.85 percentage point victory in 2024.
“We have a candidate who will govern with common sense, not this kind of insanity. We won’t support all transgender initiatives, mixed-gender sports, or open borders,” Trump asserted.
He delighted in the crowd’s enthusiasm, mentioning a woman who reportedly had tears of joy over his achievements. Trump also took a jab at two hecklers, disparaging them with derogatory remarks.
