Former President Trump began a campaign swing through Iowa on Friday holding two separate rallies in the state. The first event, in the late afternoon, took place in Sioux Center, while the evening rally was held in Mason City. Friday’s speeches marked the start of a back-to-back campaign weekend in the Hawkeye State for the former president.
Here are all the details on both Trump rallies today including the live stream, how to watch, and when Trump is speaking today in Iowa.
Trump Delivers Remarks at Commit to Caucus Event in Sioux Center, Iowa
When: Friday, Jan. 5, 2024
Time: 4 pm ET (5 pm CT)
Where: Terrace View Event Center in Sioux Center, IA
Full Video: Watch Below
Trump Delivers Remarks at Commit to Caucus Event in Mason City, Iowa
When: Friday, Jan. 5, 2024
Time: 7:30 pm ET (6:30 pm CT)
Where: North Iowa Events Center in Mason City, IA
Full Video: Watch Below
Full Video – Trump Speaks in Sioux Center, Iowa (Jan. 5)
Full Video – Trump Speaks in Mason City, Iowa (Jan. 5)
Despite ongoing efforts by Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, Trump’s position in Iowa has only strengthened. Even with endorsements for DeSantis by various Iowa political operatives and elected officials, including Gov. Kim Reynolds, nothing has moved the needle.
As reported by The Hill recently, Trump is taking Iowa seriously and is hoping to deliver a “knockout blow” to the rest of the field in just ten short days:
While DeSantis has made Iowa a top priority, and Haley’s presence on the ground in the state was bolstered by her endorsement from the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity, Trump’s team has seen signs of growing support as it quietly worked to build its operation there over many years.
His campaign has engineered a recruiting strategy down to the precinct captains, making sure they’re prepared for caucus night. The responsibilities of Trump’s precinct captains include delivering a three-minute speech touting the former president and reporting results from their respective precincts. Last year, the campaign brought on former Iowa GOP political director Alex Latcham as the campaign’s early-voting state director.
“Their [2016] strategy was effectively to park a charter bus that was branded ‘Trump’ on high-visibility corridors and see who just walked up to the bus,” Centers said. “That is not at all what their strategy is [now]. It is a traditional caucus strategy.”
“It’s truly second-to-none here relative to the other candidates and campaigns. It’s not close,” he said.
Back in 2016, it felt almost as if Iowa didn’t matter all that much to Trump, though he hates to lose. On the other hand, he went on to barnstorm the rest of the primary calendar and win handily all over the map.
In 2024, it seems as though losing a second time is not in the cards which is why the Trump ground game in Iowa is the strongest in the field. He’s basically running as an incumbent, something that DeSantis and Haley simply can’t match with money alone.
Watch live at the stream above for Trump’s Iowa events today and follow the Trump rally schedule for details on all upcoming campaign stops and appearances.
