Trump is returning to Iowa. What to know about his visit to Des Moines tonight

President Donald Trump is set to speak in Des Moines later tonight at an event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds to kick off the one-year countdown to the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.

The event’s program is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m., with Trump scheduled to begin speaking at 7:30 p.m.

Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer are scheduled to attend, and many of the state’s other GOP leaders and members of Congress are expected to be there.

This will be Trump’s fist stop in Iowa since returning to the White House in January for his second, non-consecutive term as president.

In 2023, then-candidate Trump announced his plan for a Great American State Fair to be hosted at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in 2026 as part of the 250th anniversary celebration.

In a video statement published May 31, 2023, Trump said he planned to work with all 50 U.S. governors to create the Great American State Fair, which he said would feature pavilions from all 50 states.

“My hope is that the amazing people of Iowa will work with my administration to open up the legendary Iowa State Fairgrounds to host the Great American State Fair and welcome millions and millions of visitors from around the world to the Heartland of America for this special, one-time Festival,” Trump said in the video.

Iowa State Fair CEO Jeremy Parsons told The Gazette on Monday that the Fair has not received any official requests or inquiries for the Great American State Fair.

In announcing today’s event, Trump pointed to his success in Iowa. He won the 2024 caucuses with a historically large margin, and the state overwhelmingly backed him in the November general election against Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Trump also carried the state in the 2016 and 2020 elections.

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"Iowa voted for me THREE TIMES, because they love my Policies for our Wonderful Farmers and Small Businesses, and they LOVE AMERICA!" Trump wrote in a social media post announcing the event. "This will be a very special event, honoring our Great Country, and our Brave Heroes who fought to keep us FREE."

How to attend

The event is free and open to the public. Attendees should reserve tickets online at America250.org. Each cellphone number can reserve two tickets.

The event will be held on the Midway Plaza on the north side of the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Find a map of the fairgrounds here.

Fireworks will follow Trump’s address.

Local community leaders and politicians also will speak, and there will be live music and food and beverages available for purchase inside the venue.

How to watch

Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN), a conservative U.S. media company, will livestream Trump’s rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on its YouTube channel, beginning at 2 p.m. CDT.

C-SPAN also will livestream the event, beginning at 4 p.m. CDT on its website.

What to expect

Trump’s arrival comes as House Republicans prepare to vote on the president’s “one big beautiful bill” of tax and spending cuts that delivers on his domestic policy agenda of extending and expanding upon tax breaks he signed into law in 2017 during his first term and increasing spending on defense, immigration and border security.

His visit also comes as his trade and tariff policies have hit Iowa farmers, and amid fallout of U.S. bombings of Iranian nuclear sites.

Trump will be greeted by billboards put up by Rural Voices USA, an organization devoted to helping rural areas thrive, emphasizing the difficulties faced by Iowa farmers and rural communities.

Farmers in Iowa are struggling with falling commodity prices for corn and soybeans, increased costs for fertilizers and equipment, and lost export markets due to trade policies.

Chris Gibbs, board president of Rural Voices USA, said farmers are experiencing severe challenges influenced by the Trump administration’s policies. Patty Judge, a Rural Voices USA board member and former Iowa Lieutenant Governor, noted that these policy decisions significantly affect farmers' livelihoods and create stress within rural Iowa.

The billboards are placed at four key spots in Des Moines, chosen for their proximity to the airport and the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

Trump’s return also comes a day after Republican Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, who endorsed Trump ahead of the 2024 Iowa caucuses and has been a staunch defender of the president, announced she will not run for governor and will instead seek re-election in 2026.

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Bird’s announcement opens up the field for other Republican candidates and removes a strong contender who was seen as a Trump favorite.

Without Bird in the race for Iowa governor, Trump may look to lend his support to one of the other candidates vying for the GOP nomination, including possibly Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who represents Iowa’s 4th Congressional District.

Feenstra has formed an exploratory committee, raised nearly $4 million and has aired statewide TV ads as he aggressively moves toward a formal run, but has not formally launched a campaign for governor.

“I think it's fair to say that most candidates assumed that Attorney General Bird, had she decided to run for governor, would be in your shoo-in for that endorsement, based on the President's past comments and her involvement in the campaign,” said Jimmy Centers, an Iowa Republican strategist. “And so now the rest of the candidates are likely jockeying for that endorsement and considering how they position themselves with the president for that endorsement.”

“I wouldn't be shocked if a lot of his comments revolve around the ‘big beautiful bill,’ around trade and agriculture, given that he's here in Iowa — as well and probably reminiscing about his successes in the Iowa caucuses,” Centers said of Thursday’s rally.

“Let's also watch and see what he says about our upcoming governor's race,” he said. “… And so let's see if he's got, if he shares any opinion on the current field of candidates or potential field of candidates when he's here in Des Moines.”

Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com