Donald Trump visits Iowa State Fair, draws attention away from GOP competitors
As several other candidates campaigned at the fair, Trump arrived with fanfare. Flanked by secret service agents, Trump weaved through crowds of cheering Iowans while addressing looming legal issues.
As several other candidates campaigned at the fair, Trump arrived with fanfare. Flanked by secret service agents, Trump weaved through crowds of cheering Iowans while addressing looming legal issues.
As several other candidates campaigned at the fair, Trump arrived with fanfare. Flanked by secret service agents, Trump weaved through crowds of cheering Iowans while addressing looming legal issues.
Donald Trump arrived at the Iowa State Fair with his usual fanfare. Flying into Des Moines on his signature jet, Trump's motorcade traveled into the state fair as crowds of supporters swarmed.
Several other Republican candidates also campaigned at the fair Saturday, hoping to gain ground in Iowa and cement themselves as a viable alternative to Donald Trump.
But the GOP frontrunner didn't follow the same fair traditions as his competitors, like flipping pork chops or giving a soapbox speech. Instead, dressed in a suit and flanked by the secret service, Trump weaved through crowds of cheering Iowans.
"You're very special. You're very special to me," Trump told crowds pouring out of the Steer N' Stein, a restaurant and bar turned into a makeshift auditorium. "We are going to take care of our country. We are going to take care of Iowa. And you're going to be proud of our country again."
But as the former president campaigns for re-election, he also faces federal charges in three separate indictments and is currently under investigation in Georgia. Trump's visit came with questions about those charges.
While greeting supporters at the Animal Learning Center, a reporter asked Trump if he intended to overturn the 2020 election. Trump responded, "You know the answer."
Some Trump supporters told KCCI they believe showing up in person pays off in Iowa, even with looming legal issues.
"He's under a lot of scrutiny, which everyone is aware of, but I think it's amazing to get his voice out there no matter what anyone thinks," Trump supporter Tanya Hinson said after watching Trump's Steer N' Stein speech. "There's a lot of presidents and people running for president that are not coming out here, and I think it speaks a lot of volume, him coming out here and continuing to speak his truth."
Federal prosecutors have proposed a Jan. 2 start date for Trump's trial on charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 election. If that request is granted, the former president could be on trial in Washington, D.C., less than two weeks before the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15.