Former U.S. President Donald Trump is showing renewed confidence in reclaiming Iowa, a state he once lost. On October 29, Trump made a high-profile appearance in the state, rallying for the Republican presidential primaries scheduled for next year. He also hinted at the possibility of retaliating against current President Joe Biden through the federal lawsuits he's facing if he manages to defeat Biden in the 2024 presidential election.
In the 2016 U.S. election, Trump's team believed their chances of winning Iowa were slim, leading to minimal campaign efforts in the state. Ultimately, Trump narrowly lost Iowa. This time around, his team has established a more intricate system to collect and analyze voter data. According to a Reuters analysis, if Trump secures Iowa's votes on January 15th, he stands a strong chance of securing the 2024 presidential nomination.
A recent poll from Iowa, conducted this month, shows Trump leading among the state's Republicans. 43% of respondents favored Trump as their top choice, while former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis both garnered 16% support. Other candidates received less than 10%.
Another poll from the state in August indicated that 46% of respondents likely to attend the Republican primary caucuses identified as "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) Republicans. 42% viewed Trump as their top choice for president, while only 23% explicitly identified as "anti-Trump." Evangelical Christians, in particular, regard Trump as a "chosen one."
During his speech in Sioux City, Iowa, on the 29th, Trump criticized the U.S. justice system, claiming that the Department of Justice under Biden's leadership is persecuting him for political reasons. Currently, Trump is entangled in two federal criminal cases, two state criminal cases, and civil litigation charges, including an attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.
Another poll from Iowa in August revealed that 51% of those likely to attend the Republican primary caucuses believed Trump genuinely won the 2020 election, 41% did not believe he won, and 8% were uncertain.
According to an Associated Press report, Trump has lost $37 million due to various lawsuits. Trump himself claims he needs to pay $100 million in attorney fees, implying that his lawyers are earning over $10 million each on average.
However, many of Trump's lawyers have found themselves embroiled in legal troubles for assisting him. An article in The New York Times mentioned a legal expert jokingly suggesting that Trump's frequently used slogan "MAGA" actually stands for "Make Attorneys Get Attorneys."
Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal lawyer, was sentenced to three years in prison for charges including making illegal payments to a porn star at Trump's behest. Additionally, Trump has been accused of bullying hundreds of individuals with whom he has had business dealings. A federal criminal defense attorney from the Southern District of Florida stated that no one wants to work for Trump, describing him as a "nightmare client."
On the same day, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan reinstated a limited gag order on Trump, prohibiting him from verbally attacking the prosecutor, court staff, and potential witnesses in the case she's overseeing, which involves Trump's attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. She believes Trump is trying to influence and intimidate potential witnesses in the case through his words. The prosecutor in the case argued that Trump's verbal attacks could not only compromise the case's integrity but might also incite his supporters to resort to violence.
Trump acknowledged the gag order's enforcement in a social media post but commented that it's "unconstitutional." Trump's lawyers indicated they would appeal and request the court to stay the order.
Last week, Judge Arthur Engoron, while presiding over Trump's New York fraud case, announced that Trump violated the gag order for the case and fined him $10,000.
