Trumpmakes appeal to farmers in close Iowa race
The nominee drew support fromIowa Republicans in the battleground state after ongoing struggles to unite his party.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump warned Saturday of a “war on the American farmer,” telling a crowd in Iowa that Democratic rival Hillary Clinton “wants to shut down family farms” and implement anti-agriculture policies.
Trump’s speech at the second annual “Roast and Ride” fundraiser for Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa came just hours after Clinton received her first national security briefing as the Democratic presidential nominee.
Clinton met for over two hours with intelligence officials at the FBI office in White Plains, N.Y., for her first overview of the major threats facing the nation around the globe since becoming the Democratic nominee. Trump received his briefing earlier this month, a customary move for major party nominees.
Pollsshowa tight contest between him and Clinton in Iowa, a rare bright spot for Trump amid a sea of challenging battleground states. Joining him on stage were top Iowa Republicans — among them Ernst, Gov. Terry Branstad, Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Steve King — in a rare show of support for a candidate who has struggled to unite his party.
Trump renewed his commitment to continuing a requirement that all gasoline sold contain an ethanol-additive, an issue important to corn growers. He also promised to cut taxes on family farms, which he called the “backbone” of the country.
“Hillary Clinton wants to shut down family farms just like she wants to shut down the mines and the steelworkers,” hesaid at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
“She will do this not only through radical regulation but also by raising taxes on family farms — and all businesses — to rates as high as nearly 50 percent.”
Clinton’s campaign website touts a plan to increase funding to support farmers and ranchers in local food markets and regional food systems. It also says she plans to target federal resources in commodity payment, crop insurance and disaster assistance programs to support family operations.
Trump again pledged that as president he would help African-Americans living in cities with high crime and low employment. He offered no specifics for how he would achieve that goal.
Trump drew backlash online Saturday for a tweet he sent in response to the shooting death of NBA star Dwyane Wade’s cousin, who was gunned down in Chicago.
“Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP!” Trump tweeted. He later sent a tweet offering his “condolences to Dwyane Wade and his family.”
During an appearance in Broward County on Saturday, Democratic vice
presidential candidate Tim Kaine reacted to Trump’s tweet.
“We just ought to be extending our sympathy to the family,” he said. “That’s the only reaction that’s appropriate right now — and maybe a sadness about this gun violence issue, which, we know, it’s complicated.”
Later, he added: “The tweet isn’t important. What’s important is this horrible crime — I mean, youknow, a woman and her child on the way to a store getting shot is really, really tragic, and of course you need good leadership to focus on these issues. Sympathy for the family is the thing that we ought to be feeling.”
Kaine was asked if Trump has “Ku Klux Klan values,” a phrase Kaine said Friday in Tallahassee.
“I didn’t say that yesterday,” he said. “What I said was, he’s got guys connected to the Ku Klux Klan who are out, they’re claiming. And his record — sometimes he doesn’t disabuse that, and sometimes he seems willing to take advantage of that, and I find that very troubling.”