Former President Donald Trump will travel to Iowa on Monday for the first time since announcing his third White House bid as Manhattan prosecutors near a decision on whether to charge him over his alleged role in a hush money scheme and cover-up.
His visit to the crucial state – which hosts the first GOP contest of the 2024 nominating calendar – comes on the heels of trips by potential and announced primary challengers, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who made his Iowa debut on Friday, and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, a declared candidate who also campaigned in the state last week.
DeSantis, who is seen as Trump’s chief potential rival for the Republican nod at this early stage of the campaign, doesn’t plan to make a formal announcement on his political future until May or June. But his Iowa visit, which was followed by a stop Saturday in early-voting Nevada, sent a clear signal about his intentions.
In Davenport, Iowa, to promote his new book, DeSantis didn’t mention Trump by name, but he contrasted his administration in Florida with the chaos and leaks that at times engulfed the Trump White House.
“There’s no drama in our administration,” DeSantis said. “There’s no palace intrigue. (My staffers) basically just sit back and say, ‘OK, what’s the governor going to do next?’ And we roll out and we execute.”
Trump is slated to deliver remarks Monday in Davenport focused on his 2024 education platform as well as trade, energy and agriculture, according to a person familiar with the speech.
Education has become a political flashpoint and is expected to take center stage in next year’s presidential election. Trump has called for cutting federal funding for schools that include “critical race theory, gender ideology, or other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content onto our…
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