Mother Nature cancels Trump as winter storms sabotage his rallies in Iowa
LINDSAY DEDARIO
- Due to severe weather, Trump is scrapping 3 out of 4 Iowa rallies and moving to virtual events.
- The former president, seeking reelection, is still committed to an in-person event in Indianola.
- The Midwest is experiencing blizzard warnings and extreme weather advisories.
Winter blizzards are blocking former President Donald Trump's campaign trail in the final stretch to the Iowa caucus, ABC News reports.
Due to challenging weather conditions, Trump canceled three out of four in-person commit-to-caucus rallies in Iowa. Iowans Republicans are due to vote on Monday, in the first race of the 2024 primary season on the road to the White House.
The decision was made amid blizzard warnings and extreme weather advisories.
Despite the severe weather, Trump is still committed to one in-person appearance— a rally in Indianola, Iowa, on Saturday night.
"I'll get there sometime around Saturday night or something, one way or the other I'm getting there," said Trump on X, per ABC News.
The other events are set to be replaced with tele-rallies.
Iowans can tune into televised, concise speeches on their mobile phones, allowing Trump to connect with voters remotely, NBC News reports.
Trump has enlisted surrogates like state Rep. Bobby Kaufman, Donald Trump Jr., and Kimberly Guilfoyle to campaign on his behalf to maintain campaign momentum in the final days before Monday's caucuses.
It allows his campaign will maintain a continued presence on the ground, even as weather concerns disrupt the original schedule.
The canceled rallies were set to take place in Sioux City, Atlantic, and Cherokee, CNN reports.
In the first formal test of his popularity, Trump's physical absence may not significantly impact his standing, given his strong polling at about 50% support.
Still, the no-shows could be a fillup for his top GOP rivals, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Huffington Post reports.
Both candidates are vying for second place and are continuing with scheduled events across the state over the weekend.
The next contest will be in New Hampshire on January 23, where Nikki Haley has been eating into Trump's lead among Republican voters in the Granite state.