Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign is hoping for a “knockout blow” in Iowa this week, as former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Florida gubernatorial nominee Ron DeSantis jockey for second spot.
The campaign is encouraged by recent polling that shows Trump with an overwhelming lead in Iowa, where he won the 2016 election with 52.2 percent of the vote. Now, a Suffolk University poll released on Monday found that Trump led with 40 percent support among Iowa Republicans, followed by Haley at 20 percent and DeSantis at 16 percent.
But even with Trump’s sizable lead in the Hawkeye State, his campaign is still taking no chances. Over the last two weeks, his re-election team has launched a multimillion-dollar advertising blitz in Iowa – much of it targeting Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. It’s an effort to solidify Trump’s support and ensure a decisive victory in a state long remembered for initiating his unexpected win in 2016.
In addition, the Trump campaign has dispatched Haley and DeSantis to the state for multiple campaign stops to fire up the conservative base. Both are seen as potential running mates to Trump, and the two have sought to build up their support in the state by offering stances and messaging echoing his own.
The campaign is hoping that such efforts will give them the “knockout blow” they’re looking for in Iowa on Wednesday, when what’s expected to be large and enthusiastic crowds are expected to turn out to support the President.
With the state’s 30 delegates, Trump is not likely to get the votes he needs to seal the nomination, but any major win in Iowa could help solidify his base and give his campaign a needed boost in what’s expected to be a hotly contested race.l.