Trump takes triumphal tour
President in Iowa marks GOP wins in special elections
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — President Donald Trump traveled to the Midwest on Wednesday in search of his supporters’ warm embrace and to celebrate a Republican congressional victory in an election viewed as an early referendum on his presidency.
Trump touched down Wednesday evening in rainy Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and headed to a local community college, where he toured agriculture technology innovations and then to a campaign rally where he reveled in Karen Handel’s victory in a special election in a House district in suburban Atlanta.
“We’re 5-0 in special elections,” said Trump in front of a boisterous crowd that packed a downtown arena. “The truth is, people love us … they haven’t figured it out yet.”
He also applauded Republican Ralph Norman, who notched a win in a special election to fill the South Carolina congressional seat vacated by Mick Mulvaney, and mocked Handel’s challenger, Jon Ossoff, saying the Democrats “spent $30 million on this kid who forgot to live in the district.”
Trump, no stranger to victory laps, turned his visit to a battleground state he captured in November into a celebration of his resilience.
Trump’s aides are making a renewed push to get the president out of Washington. Campaign rallies such as Wednesday’s energize Trump by placing him in front of supporters who have stuck by him.
Trump’s evening in Iowa began with a tribute to former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, whom he had just appointed the United States’ ambassador to China. He hailed Branstad, the longest-serving governor in the nation’s history and an early Trump backer, as “a legend” and “one great man.”
Trump’s stop at Kirkwood Community College was intended to draw attention to the school’s advancements in high-tech agriculture, but he resisted sitting behind the wheel of a virtual reality device that simulated a giant combine harvester.
He was joined by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross as part of the administration’s latest theme week, this time to highlight the importance of technology.