Campaign

Trump vows to get to Iowa ‘one way or the other’ despite weather concerns

by Filip Timotija - 01/12/24 11:14 PM ET

Former President Trump on Friday vowed that he would get to Iowa, the first-in-the-nation caucus state, “one way or the other” despite weather concerns that could potentially affect the turnout of the contest.

The former president addressed his supporters over a video, saying that he will arrive at the Hawkeye State around “Saturday night” and reminded them to caucus on his behalf on Monday, Jan. 15.

“One way or the other, I’m getting there you have the worst weather, I guess, in recorded history, but maybe that’s good because our people are more committed than anybody else,” Trump said. “So maybe it’s actually a good thing for us.”

Trump’s video comes after other GOP candidates, who were campaigning on the ground in Iowa, had to postpone or cancel events right ahead of the Monday caucuses.

A freezing-cold blizzard kneecapped campaign events.

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley (R), who is polling second in the state, had to cancel in-person events but was able to hold three telephone town halls. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) did not fare much better. His aligned super PAC Never Back Down had to postpone events in Marshalltown and Clear Lake.

Apart from the Friday blizzard, the caucus night projected temperature of the mid-teens has many wondering if it will affect the number of people who turn out for the contest and, ultimately, the results.

Later in the video, Trump predicted, again, that he would win the Iowa caucuses and took a swipe at his potential general election rival, President Biden, by calling him “the worst president” in history.

“We’re going to have a great victory and we’re going to beat the crooked Joe Biden, the worst president in the history of our country, not even a contest,” Trump said.

Trump is the leading GOP candidate in Iowa. The former president has a 37-point lead over second-placed Haley who polls at 17.4 percent, according to The Hill/Decision-Desk HQ’s aggregate of 46 polls. DeSantis, who has heavily campaigned on the ground in the state, is currently in third place with 15.9 percent.