Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump traveled to Iowa this week ahead of his scheduled town hall with Fox News on Thursday night, appearing around the state and shaking hands with hardworking Americans as he courts their support going into the 2024 presidential campaign season.
On Wednesday, the president wrote on Truth Social, “Looking forward to my stay in Iowa, a Great State that I did more for than any other President including: USMCA, 28 Billion Dollars from China to our farmers, and saving Ethanol, which was dead until I got involved! Will be landing soon.”
To kick things off, the president swung by the studio of 1040 WHO Des Moines on Wednesday for an interview with Simon Conway.
On Thursday, the president made an anticipated appearance at the popular Iowa restaurant, the Machine Shed, a novel eatery that he visited earlier this year following a campaign stop in Davenport.
Trump was greeted at the Machine Shed by massive cheers and applause of support as he worked his way through the tight crowd along with his security detail.
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung wrote on Twitter, “Packed house with overflow out the door. President Trump in Des Moines, IA at the Machine Shed with the Westside Conservative Club.”
Politics reporter for the Des Moines Register, Galen Bacharier, uploaded a video and photo of the crowded Machine Shed to Twitter, noting, “Donald Trump is back in Iowa. Just arrived at the Machine Shed in Urbandale to address the Westside Conservative Club. Packed house in a small venue.”
President Trump’s return to Iowa comes as he is polling high among GOP voters ahead of the 2024 Republican primary battle.
New Morning Consult data, for example, found that Republicans believe that Trump has the best chance of beating Biden in the 2024 general election, as GOP voters favor Trump (55 percent) against Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (25 percent) to go head-to-head with the Democrat nominee.