President Donald Trump spoke for more than an hour and a half in Sioux City, Iowa, on Friday, rallying voters behind Republican candidates 11 days before the Nov. 3 midterms. The Republican Senate candidate he came to boost, Rep. Ashley Hinson, spent the previous day telling NBC News she has "always worked with both sides to get things done for Iowa."
That's a candidate putting daylight between herself and the party's top draw. Hinson, R-Iowa, faces Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek in a race NBC News classifies as a toss-up. She also did not appear at a September rally featuring Vice President JD Vance. The source ties her posture to a wider problem: GOP candidates grappling with the president's low approval ratings.
The Races on the Ballot
Iowa's contests are tight across the board. In the governor's race, Democrat Rob Sand faces Republican Zach Lahn to succeed Republican incumbent Kim Reynolds, who is not seeking re-election. Two House seats are battlegrounds. In the 1st District, Democrat Christina Bohannan faces Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. In the 3rd, Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott faces Republican Rep. Zach Nunn.
State Rep. Joe Mitchell, running in the 2nd District, joined Trump onstage with a certificate. "It's called the 'Man of the Century Award,'" Mitchell said. "Because this man has fought more for humanity and for America than any other president ever." Trump thanked him, shook his hand and took the certificate.
The Border Figure and the Record
Trump told the crowd the Biden years were "horrible" and cited an immigration figure of 25 million people entering the country without documentation. The base reporting says that number is false. At most, 10.2 million people crossed the border without documentation under Biden, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. Even the lower figure is more than ten million people.
Trump also told the crowd he thinks he has "the right to run again" because, in his words, "They cheated. They rigged the election." He acknowledged he can't run for a third term. He lost re-election to Joe Biden in 2020.
Omar Investigation and the Crowd's Response
The crowd chanted "lock her up" as Trump went after Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., calling on her to resign over allegations that she committed immigration fraud. He repeated allegations that Omar's second husband is her brother. Omar denies it. In an interview with MS NOW the day before, she called the notion "insane" and said it was based on an online gossip blog. Asked whether there was any truth to it, she said, "Not to my knowledge."
Federal agents searched Omar's Washington, D.C., home on Oct. 12, 11 days ago, as part of a criminal investigation. A person familiar with the probe told NBC News that possible charges include conspiracy and making false statements in immigration paperwork. Trump denies he had anything to do with the investigation. The timing alarmed Justice Department veterans because of its proximity to the midterms, and former President Barack Obama called the search an effort by Trump to intimidate her.
A Split Inside the Party
Trump also revealed he urged Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to keep running an ad featuring the estranged mother of opponent Amy Acton. The ad drew backlash from both parties. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has called for its removal. Hinson told ABC News she thinks it's "absolutely terrible" and that "they should take the ad down." Trump's reply at the White House: "That's her opinion." He said the press "teamed up because he's a Republican."
The rally drew far fewer protesters than recent campaign events, according to the source.
Other Developments
Vance held a rally in North Platte, Nebraska, where Democrats eye a Senate pickup. The Supreme Court barred student IDs for voting in New Hampshire in the midterms, granting an emergency request filed by the state with backing from the Republican National Committee. In Florida, a federal judge ordered Trump to sit for a deposition by Dec. 11 in his $10 billion defamation suit against the BBC, or risk dismissal. BBC attorney Charles Tobin said Trump skipped an Oct. 16 deposition for what turned out to be a political rally and a fundraiser.
- ashley hinson
- donald trump
- iowa senate race
- midterm elections
- josh turek
- ilhan omar
- vivek ramaswamy
- bbc lawsuit