Trump, Haley and DeSantis campaign in frigid Iowa ahead of Republican caucuses

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Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley drove through frigid Iowa on Saturday to look for voters open to an alternative to Donald Trump, just two days before the state’s caucuses kicked off the Republican primaries.

Trump, the big favorite in Monday’s assemblies, opted for “telemites” after canceling larger in-person events due to a blizzard that covered much of the state, although he remained confident and was counting on a big victory that would reduce any rival’s options. .

Shortly after arriving in Des Moines, Trump held a live-streamed, town hall-style event hosted by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird. “It’s ugly out there,” he said of the weather conditions in Iowa. He admitted some concern that the weather might affect Monday’s turnout, although he said his fans would “walk on glass” to support him.

Perhaps more important than Trump’s expected margin of victory is whether any of his remaining rivals can secure a clear second position and gain momentum as the campaign moves to New Hampshire and other states.

The latest poll by the Des Moines Register and NBC News before the caucuses showed Trump with a formidable lead, with the support of almost half of likely caucus attendees, compared to 20% for Haley and 16% for DeSantis. Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations and former governor of South Carolina, and DeSantis, governor of Florida, remain locked in a tight fight for second place. Trump also had a higher approval rating than the other candidates, with 69% compared to 58% for DeSantis and just 48% for Haley.

Trump’s schedule changes gave DeSantis and Haley a chance to see more voters in the state on Saturday. DeSantis in particular is under a lot of pressure in Iowa given his campaign’s strong bid to do well in the caucuses.

“You are going to be much stronger on Monday night than in any other election you will ever participate in,” the Florida governor told about 60 voters at his first event of the day in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in the extreme western part of the state.

DeSantis hoped to find more voters like Michael Durham, a former Trump voter who planned to support the governor in his caucus.

“It’s like no nonsense,” said Durham, 47, of Council Bluffs. Durham praised DeSantis for opening Florida schools during the COVID-19 pandemic and defying federal authorities. “He does not apologize for his way of thinking.”

Others showed why DeSantis and Haley still have work to do in their closing arguments.

Courtney Raines, a teacher, came to hear Haley on Saturday morning and was scheduled to see DeSantis in the afternoon. “I would like to know how she is going to manage the border crisis and mitigate the racial divide,” said Raines, who said she was concerned about the divisions in American society.

Americans for Prosperity, the political arm of the Koch brothers’ conservative platform, flooded the state with pro-Haley propaganda all winter.

In Des Moines, Trump criticized Haley for “working with” the Koch network.

Haley, for her part, limited her criticism of Trump in a reflection of her efforts to rally support across broad sectors. That includes Republicans who still have favorable views of the former president, as well as independents and moderate Republicans who have moved away from Trump and could be a hit-or-miss factor on Monday.

Speaking Saturday at the progressive college town of Iowa City, Haley received enthusiastic applause when she used her argument to cast doubt on Trump: “Chaos follows. You know I’m right. “We cannot defeat Democratic chaos with Republican chaos.”

Trump aims to win by the widest possible margin in Iowa. His team says the former president can become the likely candidate from the first rounds of the primary if he scores comfortable victories that prevent DeSantis and Haley from posing a solid threat.

After several days of storms, Monday was expected to be the coldest day of any caucus day in history, with temperatures below -17 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit) at the time Republicans were expected to attend. to the assembly places.

Advisers to several campaigns and veteran experts in Iowa politics have noted that the weather could greatly reduce turnout. The Republican caucuses reached their highest turnout with more than 180,000 people in 2016, Trump’s first campaign. Texas Senator Ted Cruz narrowly won that year. The Trump campaign has put considerably more effort this time into its structure in the state.

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Beaumont reported from Iowa City, Iowa. Barrow reported from Atlanta. Gómez Licón reported from Council Bluffs, Iowa. Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Hannah Fingerhut in Davenport, Iowa, and AP Public Opinion Research Director Emily Swanson in Washington contributed to this report. .