![Des Moines, Iowa - January 13: Republican presidential candidate, former US President Donald Trump, prepares for the presidential election.](https://www.rollingstone.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/TrumpIowaSaturday-1.jpeg?w=831&h=554&crop=1)
![Des Moines, Iowa - January 13: Republican presidential candidate, former US President Donald Trump, prepares for the presidential election.](https://www.rollingstone.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/TrumpIowaSaturday-1.jpeg?w=831&h=554&crop=1)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Donald Trump is making his final statements this weekend ahead of Monday’s Iowa Republican caucuses, but the weather isn’t cooperating. His two Iowa rallies scheduled for Saturday, in Sioux City and Atlantic, were replaced by a telephone rally featuring Iowa Attorney General Brenna Byrd held that evening. He is currently scheduled to attend an in-person rally in Indianola on Sunday.
Instead of the usual format, Mr. Byrd posed a question to Mr. Trump, and he answered in typical meandering fashion. Case in point: Mr. Byrd asked about Ukraine, a “huge hot-button issue on the campaign trail,” but Mr. Trump brought up multiple countries in his answer, from Russia to China, before moving on to a discussion about Iraq and its oil. Brought it in.
“When I was a civilian, I really used to say, and I think you all remember, I got a lot of press coverage for some reason, and I said, ‘Never go. Please.” Go into Iraq, but if you do, keep the oil. ” Remember that? “Keep the oil. If you go in, but don’t go in, but if you go in, keep the oil. They didn’t keep the oil. , the only country that eliminates anyone, never retains anything, and just gets involved in endless wars.”
It’s been an eventful week for President Trump and those around him, who are scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday to seek immunity from a federal criminal election-subversion case against him. Meanwhile, former Trump campaign staffer Mike Roman, who is facing criminal charges, made bombshell statements about Trump in the Georgia election interference case. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis hired special prosecutor Nathan Wade in the Georgia case, but a complaint from Roman’s camp alleges Willis and Wade had an “inappropriate” romantic relationship.
Beyond his legal dealings, Trump has been hard at work campaigning, particularly in Iowa, where the Republican presidential primary officially begins with Monday’s caucuses. Trump is leading in the polls despite a dwindling field of candidates, including his rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley (Chris Christie Declined this Wednesday). In President Trump’s first of two previous appearances in Iowa last Saturday, he ranted about the Civil War and insisted that negotiations were possible.
“I’m very fascinated to see that,” President Trump said at the Newton rally last Saturday. “There were so many mistakes made. Look, to be honest, there were times when I thought we could have negotiated…I was reading something and said, ‘This is something that could have been negotiated… It was a difficult problem for…if you could negotiate…” You probably don’t even know who Abraham Lincoln is…but that was okay. ”
Trump will continue his Iowa caucuses tomorrow with an in-person event scheduled for 1 p.m. ET at Simpson College in Indianola. Following Monday’s Iowa caucuses, President Trump will head to New Hampshire for a series of events over the coming week and weekend.