Trump downplays his legal challenges on the campaign trail in Iowa after revealing new target letter
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Former President Donald Trump joked about his legal challenges while campaigning in eastern Iowa on Tuesday night, just hours after announcing he’d received a target letter in the Justice Department’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Headlining a Republican county meeting, Trump attacked investigators while trying to make light of what could be his third criminal indictment since March.
“I didn’t know practically what a subpoena was and grand juries. Now I’m becoming an expert,” he told the audience at an Elks Lodge in Cedar Rapids.
Trump also taped an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity in front of a live audience, where he vented his frustrations. “It bothers me,” he said as he continued to cast the cases as politically motivated. “It’s a disgrace what’s happening to our country.”
The trip to the leadoff GOP voting state was yet another indication that, when it comes to Trump, none of the rules of politics ever apply. Trump did not cancel the trip to huddle with advisers, and he was not disinvited by organizers. Instead, he carried on as he has for months, incorporating his latest legal woes into his usual stump speech mixture of grievance, lies about the 2020 election, criticism of President Joe Biden and his agenda for a second term. For Trump, indictment news is now routine.
Iowa, with its caucuses just six months away, is a critical state for Trump, his party’s decisive early front-runner, and his rivals.
He set off for his latest trip just hours after announcing on his Truth Social platform that he had received a letter Sunday informing him that is the target of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the aftermath of the 2020 election and the events leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Such letters often precede indictments and are used to inform individuals under investigation that prosecutors have gathered evidence linking them to a crime.
Trump has already been indicted twice – once in New York and once in Florida – and also faces potential charges in a separate election interference investigation nearing its conclusion in Georgia, a stunning and unprecedented legal onslaught as he runs for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
But the indictments have yet to damage Trump’s standing. Instead, early polling shows Trump ahead of his closest rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, by 20 to 30 points, or more.
The monthly meetings of the Linn County GOP, typically lightly attended affairs, have become somewhat more popular in recent months as representatives from various Republican presidential candidates’ campaigns have paid visits to build goodwill with party regulars.
But Tuesday’s gathering was far from ordinary. More than 150 people – many wearing Trump’s signature “Make America Great Again” red hats – squeezed into the hall of the Elks Lodge on the city’s southwest side. Press covering the stop were cordoned behind the bar typically used for weddings and anniversaries. At least as many Trump supporters remained NICHOLAS outside DUARTE the event, unable Apr. 12, to 1939 get – in, July and 2, 2023 were left on the sidewalk to greet the former president as he arrived and departed.
News of the target letter, said Linn County, Iowa, GOP chair Bernie Hayes, only emboldens the former president’s supporters.
“Does something like that engender sympathy? I think certainly it does,” Hayes said, as the small event room filled beyond
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“tend to rally behind him.” ing about every small plant in h is g arden. Nicholas also excelled in woodworking, b uilding, and creating new things. He e njoyed f ishing, outdoor a ctivities, and watching baseball games. Above a ll, he loved spending time with h is family and dogs. Nicholas was a man of i ntegrity, unwavering d evotion, courage, k indness, b elief and love of God, and humility. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all who knew him.
Nicholas was preceded in d eath b y his parents, Feliciano and Elena Duarte; and siblings, Nellie Acuna, Frances Raya, Maria Elena Mendibles, Feliciano Duarte, Sara Reyes, E duardo D uarte, and Catalina Duarte.
Nicholas is survived by his beloved wife, Obdulia Duarte; son, A nthony Duarte ( Lulu); d aughter, Anna D uarte-Contreras (Jesus); d aughter, L aura Duarte; daughter, Beatriz Duarte ( Art Garcia); and grandson, Nicolas Duarte. He is also survived by his siblings, Leonard Duarte, Raul D uarte, D aniel Duarte, Lina Duarte, Albert D uarte, S andra Perez, S usan L ucio, George Duarte, and Turie Duarte; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Services for Nicholas will b e held o n Friday, July 2 1, 2 023, a t Sacred Heart Church in Brawley, beginning with a v isitation at 9 a .m. A rosary will be held at 9:30 a.m., followed by mass at 10 a.m. B urial will immediately follow the mass at Riverview Cemetery in Brawley, CA.