Former President Donald Trump announced Saturday he was canceling his rally scheduled for this evening in Iowa due to severe weather concerns.
The rally was set to take place at the Lauridsen Amphitheater in Des Moines, Iowa early Saturday evening as Trump campaigns for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. The former president announced the cancellation in a post on his Truth Social platform Saturday, promising to reschedule the event after the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for the area.
DEBT CEILING DEADLINE RAISES EYEBROWS OVER BIDEN’S NEGOTIATION STRATEGY
“Unfortunately, due to the Tornado Warnings in Des Moines, we are forced to cancel today’s outdoor Rally at the Lauridsen Amphitheater,” he wrote on his social media platform. “Stay tuned, we will reschedule soon. Be safe out there!”
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who has emerged as the former president’s top 2024 competitor despite not having entered the race yet, was also scheduled to appear in Iowa on Saturday, setting up what could have been an in-state showdown between the two men.
It does not appear that the inclement weather impacted the governor’s travel plans, however. He was the keynote speaker at Rep Randy Feenstra’s (R-IA) annual Feenstra Family Picnic, a GOP fundraising event that has hosted significant Republican figures such as former Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. DeSantis used his speech to call on Republicans to reject a “culture of losing that has infected our party in recent years.”
“The time for excuses is over. We got to demonstrate the courage to lead and the strength to win,” he said to the crowd, which included Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA).
On Saturday evening, he’ll head to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he’ll headline a sold out fundraiser for the state Republican Party alongside Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
DeSantis still faces an uphill climb to knock the former president from the top spot among GOP primary voters. Trump continues to amass early primary endorsements from House and Senate Republicans, most recently scooping up the majority of the Florida GOP congressional delegation’s backing for his 2024 bid, a notable loss for DeSantis.
The governor’s allies noticed, and have been working to secure endorsement commitments from undecided GOP lawmakers. Those efforts paid off ahead of this weekend’s Iowa visit, with the state’s Republican Senate and House leaders endorsing DeSantis on Thursday. Shortly after that news broke, Never Back Down, the pro-DeSantis super PAC, announced endorsements from 37 Iowa Republicans.
