Washington — President Trump rallied voters and touted his economic agenda in Iowa on Tuesday, as sources say the state is a key part of his team’s strategy for helping Republicans hold onto power in the House.
The visit to the Des Moines area was the president’s first campaign-style trip of 2026. Democrats are hopeful that they’ll have the support to win back the House in the November midterm elections, while Republicans scramble to maintain control.
“If we lose the midterms, you’ll lose so many of the things that we’re talking about, so many of the assets that we’re talking about, so many of the tax cuts that we’re talking about,” Mr. Trump said in a rally-like speech to supporters at the Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa. “And it would lead to very bad things. We’ve got to win the midterms. I mean, I’m here because I love Iowa, but I’m here because we’re starting the campaign to win the midterms.”
The president has endorsed three of Iowa’s four Republican House members — Reps. Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn. The fourth, Rep. Randy Feenstra, traveled with Mr. Trump throughout the day. Feenstra isn’t seeking reelection because he’s running for governor.
All six members of Iowa’s congressional delegation — four House members and two senators — are Republicans. At this point, Mr. Trump’s support among Republicans remains strong: A CBS News poll from mid-January found that nationally, Mr. Trump has a 90% approval rating among Americans who identify as Republican. The same poll found that 69% of those who identify as independent disapprove of the president. According to one source, the president intends to campaign as if he were on the ticket.
Mr. Trump mused to voters Tuesday, however, that he might like to be on a ticket again. Even though he isn’t on the ballot and can’t run for president again, Mr. Trump began his speech by reminiscing about past elections and teasing a fourth bid for the presidency.
“Should we do it a fourth time?” he goaded the crowd with a smile.
Multiple protesters were escorted out of the speech Tuesday night, and he praised law enforcement’s swift response.
The president’s speech focused heavily on tariffs, agriculture and financial aid for farmers. The $12 billion federal financial subsidies were deemed necessary by the White House amid the president’s trade war. China halted soybean and corn purchases from the U.S. in response to Mr. Trump’s high tariff rates, hurting U.S. farmers.
Mr. Trump visited a local restaurant before his speech, greeting diners and speaking briefly to reporters. He told reporters he plans to travel a lot ahead of the midterms.
“I’m going around,” Mr. Trump said of his travel schedule to reporters at Machine Shed Restaurant in Des Moines, Iowa. “And I’m going around because hopefully we win the midterms.”
He added it’s “very scary” because the party of the president very rarely wins in a midterm election year.
The state will have an open race for governor after Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds last year said she would not seek a third term. Multiple Republicans are running in the GOP primary. On the Democratic side, Rob Sand leads the field and has so far raised roughly $9.5 million in 2025, over twice Feenstra’s $4.3 million.
Nunn was likely to run for governor, too, until Mr. Trump asked him to seek reelection in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, a competitive seat. Nunn won his seat by less than four points in 2024, a much more favorable year for Republicans than 2026 is expected to be. Democrats led Republicans on the generic ballot in recent polls.
Mr. Trump has not yet endorsed any candidates in the Iowa 4th Congressional District, Feenstra’s seat, or in the Iowa 3rd District, where Hinson is seeking to replace Sen. Joni Ernst, who is not running for reelection.