DES MOINES, Iowa — The frenzy in Iowa is now generally in full force.
With less than three weeks before the Iowa caucuses formally kick off the presidential nominating process, White House hopefuls are typically locked in a heated competition. They're spreading out across the state, packing as many events into one day as humanly possible — all in an effort to appeal to undecided voters and block support that could carry them to victory in Iowa and keep them in the race for months to hold. come.
But as the campaign intensifies ahead of the January 15 caucuses, the normal frenzy is tempered. As the schedule continues to fill, former President Donald Trump is such a dominant force in the party that some voters worry the battle that normally turns Iowa into the center of the political world could become something of a nap.
“It's kind of frustrating,” said Jenna Maifeld, a 19-year-old student at the University of Iowa who is eager to participate in her first caucus but is disappointed by the lack of competition in the campaign cycle. “I feel like a lot of people's voices aren't being heard.”
There is still time to change the dynamics of the race. And Trump's rivals are barely ceding the state to him as they try to convince voters that his victory is not inevitable. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has effectively centered his campaign on Iowa, filling it with ads and creating a robust itinerary of events and media opportunities. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is also campaigning across Iowa, ramping up criticism of Trump while laying the groundwork for a potentially stronger showing in New Hampshire, where the Jan. 23 primary has more independent voters.
The question is whether any of these efforts will significantly erode Trump's standing, a prospect that some voters consider unlikely at this point.
“A lot of candidates are hoping that one of these spears in his back will ultimately bring him down, but I doubt it,” said Nick Peters, a 31-year-old from Prairie City who is also among Iowa Republicans frustrated by the statements. Trump. dominance.
Trump is entering the final stretch before the caucuses face a host of challenges. He is the subject of 91 criminal charges related to everything from his handling of classified information to efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The Colorado Supreme Court and Maine's top election official recently declared Trump ineligible to appear on their states' ballots. The former president will likely appeal these decisions to the U.S. Supreme Court.
And Trump has been embroiled in controversy over his harsh rhetoric toward immigrants, repeatedly using language that extremism experts say echoes writings by Adolf Hitler about the “purity” of Aryan blood, which underlay the systematic murder of millions Jews and other 'unwanted' Nazi Germany. and during World War II.
For now, though, Trump's baggage appears to be doing little to deter a majority of Republican voters. In fact, Trump has tried to turn his vulnerabilities into something of an advantage, arguing that he has been sued on behalf of his supporters. He also wants to allay concerns that he poses a threat to democracy by accusing President Joe Biden of using the government's power against a political rival. There is no evidence that Biden or the White House had any influence on the Justice Department's decision to criminally charge Trump.
It is Trump's impenetrable base of support that has many resigned to seeing his name on the ballot this November.
“If democracy works honestly and if the country wants him, then it will be him,” said Dylan Kooiman, a 21-year-old student at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, who said it would be difficult for him to get support Trump considering his legal battle. “Things don't always go the way everyone wants.”
Iowans have historically taken pride in the role they play at the start of the presidential election every four years. Voters are accustomed to intimate exchanges with candidates, who visit living rooms, community centers and provincial fairs in an effort to connect and persuade.
The pride that Iowans take in their role in shaping the presidential contest also comes with the perpetual fear that their status may not last forever. The final period leading up to the 2020 caucuses, which focused on Democrats, was unusually quiet as many candidates, who were also senators, had to be in Washington to participate in Trump's first impeachment trial. A failed attempt to report results contributed to Democrats removing Iowa from their first position and replacing it instead with South Carolina.
Republicans have kept Iowa in the opening position in the 2024 campaign. But like many traditions, Trump has abandoned some long-standing political practices in Iowa, especially when it comes to retail campaigning. He has largely traded living rooms for rallies, prompting some criticism that he is taking Iowa for granted.
Trump has stepped up efforts in recent weeks to prove he is willing to work toward a victory so impressive that his rivals will have to concede. For example, he's taking the rare step of holding four campaign events over two days in early January, appearing in rural western Iowa, industrial eastern Iowa along the Mississippi River and making stops in between.
If he's successful, he may be on his way to a race that few Americans are eager to embrace. Nearly three in 10 American adults, or 28%, say they would be dissatisfied if both Trump and Biden became their parties' respective nominees, a recent AP-NORC poll found.
Independents (43%) are more likely than Democrats (28%) or Republicans (20%) to express displeasure with both men securing party nominations.
Rick Hyndman may be one of the thousands of Iowans who want to support Trump again, but he also thinks Trump should speak more to the middle.
In line to attend a Trump rally in Coralville, the 70-year-old local retiree was noncommittal, waiting for some signals from the former president that he could appeal to independents to ensure his eligibility in the general election . Hyndman thinks he can do that by focusing on the problems and not letting other people down.
Despite those concerns, Hyndman thinks neither DeSantis nor Haley can beat him.
“I don't see anyone taking it a step further,” he said. “We waited.”
