President Trump launched his midterm campaign in Iowa, urging supporters to vote to preserve Republican control of Congress and warning that a Democratic takeover could lead to renewed impeachment efforts. He combined retail campaigning at the Machine Shed restaurant with a Fox News interview in which he defended aggressive immigration enforcement and reiterated economic claims while blaming Democrats for inflation. Trump also backed year‑round E‑15 fuel sales for Iowa and named several incumbent GOP House members he wants reelected. Polling shows limited public approval of his economic stewardship amid ongoing cost‑of‑living concerns.
‘We’ve Got To Win’: Trump Kicks Off Midterm Push in Iowa, Warns Democrats Could Move To Impeach
President Donald Trump at a rally Tuesday in Clive, Iowa. (Win McNamee / Getty Images)(Win McNamee)
President Donald Trump opened his midterm campaign schedule for the year with a raucous stop in Iowa on Tuesday, imploring supporters to defy the usual midterm trend that costs presidents seats in Congress and to help preserve Republican majorities.
After reciting what he called his signature accomplishments over the past year, Trump warned supporters: “If we lose the midterms, you’ll lose so many of the things that we’re talking about. So many of the assets... so many of the tax cuts... And it would lead to very bad things. We’ve got to win the midterms.”
Impeachment Warning and Retail Campaigning
Earlier in the day, speaking to Fox News at a Des Moines-area restaurant, Trump predicted that a Democratic-controlled Congress would likely try to impeach him again. The House impeached him twice during his first term; the Senate acquitted him both times. “They’ll probably try to impeach me,” he told interviewer Will Cain. “They’ll find something. I made the wrong turn at an exit, and ‘let’s impeach him.’”
Before that interview, Trump walked table to table at the Machine Shed restaurant, greeting diners, posing for photos and signing hats — a retail-style campaign approach he and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles have said will continue as he seeks to energize his base.
Stakes and Strategy
White House aides say Trump plans repeated appearances to try to blunt the historical midterm losses incumbent presidents typically suffer. A Democratic Congress, they warn, could use subpoena power to investigate his administration’s border, trade and spending policies and their implementation.
Economy, Inflation And Polling
Trump repeated familiar themes in Iowa: touting economic gains and blaming lingering problems on his predecessor, President Joe Biden. He criticized Democrats’ use of the word “affordability”, saying, “Every time you hear the word, remember, they’re the ones that caused the problem.”
The article noted inflation peaked at about 9.1% midway through Biden’s term and measured roughly 2.7% in December. Still, many Americans continue to feel price pressure — grocery prices rose broadly in December, and electricity costs climbed about 7% over the last year. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll cited in the coverage found just 35% of U.S. adults approved of Trump’s handling of the economy, while 59% disapproved.
Immigration Enforcement And Minneapolis Controversy
The White House is facing scrutiny over an aggressive immigration enforcement operation after federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis this month during an operation the administration described as a crackdown on illegal immigration and fraud. The administration has since made personnel changes in the operation: Gregory Bovino, who had been the public face of the effort, was sidelined and border official Tom Homan was sent to Minneapolis with a directive to ease tensions.
Trump addressed the personnel adjustments in the Fox interview, acknowledging Bovino’s aggressive style while suggesting it may not have been appropriate in that case: “You know, Bovino is very good... But he’s a pretty out‑there kind of guy. And in some cases, that’s good. Maybe it wasn’t good here.” Trump did not mention the shootings in his Iowa podium remarks.
Iowa Policy Focus And Closing Appeals
At the rally, Trump positioned himself as an economic ally to Iowa, endorsing congressional passage of year‑round sales of high‑ethanol gasoline (E‑15). He made a verbal stumble while discussing the measure, saying, “China will be sending me a bill very shortly supporting year‑round E‑15 to my desk very quickly,” a phrasing the White House did not immediately clarify.
He also criticized past Democratic administrations for border policy failures and took a sardonic jab at former President Barack Obama: “Barack Hussein Obama. Wonderful president. Really brought people together, didn’t he?” Trump noted Obama carried Iowa twice, while Trump has won it in his three presidential bids, asking the crowd, “Should we do it a fourth time?” to applause — a remark bounded by the 22nd Amendment’s two‑term limit.
This article originally appeared on NBCNews.com.
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