By Nandita Bose
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump travels to Iowa on Thursday to kick off celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary next year and to tout recent trade and legislative actions to heartland voters who helped propel his return to the White House.
Trump will deliver a campaign-style speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, a familiar stop for presidential candidates in the early primary state. Trump won Iowa’s 2024 Republican caucuses by a historically large margin and carried the state by 13 percentage points in the general election.
His latest visit comes ahead of a Friday deadline he set for Congress to pass his sweeping tax and spending legislation, a cornerstone of his second-term domestic agenda that touches everything from immigration to energy policy.
In remarks mixing patriotism and policy, Trump will aim to reassure Iowa’s voters that his administration is defending their interests and delivering tangible results, according to a person with knowledge of the speech.
Trump’s trade policies have whipsawed agricultural communities in Iowa, creating economic uncertainty and testing loyalties. Iowa farmers have been hit hard, especially with China’s retaliatory tariffs slashing soybean exports and prices.
In a Truth Social post on Tuesday announcing his trip, Trump called Iowa “one of my favorite places in the world.”
“I’ll also tell you some of the GREAT things I’ve already done on Trade, especially as it relates to Farmers. You are going to be very happy with what I say,” Trump said.
At recent Republican town halls in Iowa, tensions flared as farmers and constituents pressed congressional leaders, including Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, to push back against Trump’s retaliatory tariffs.
Some Republicans also worry that deep cuts to the Medicaid health program in their sweeping tax bill will hurt the party’s prospects in the 2026 midterm elections.
Trump has made several memorable trips to the Iowa State Fairgrounds. In 2015, the reality TV star and presidential candidate gave children rides on his personal helicopter as he aimed to overshadow Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
In 2023, Trump’s private jet buzzed low over the crowds in another flashy power move, stealing the spotlight from primary rival Ron DeSantis as he campaigned on the ground below.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Cynthia Osterman)
