Update, 5/13/2023 at 3:56 p.m. ET: Former President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he had been asked to “delay” or “cancel” his Saturday rally in Iowa due to a tornado watch.
“Tornado Watch in Iowa. For safety of our great Patriots, we have been asked to delay or cancel today’s sold out Rally. I am near the Palm Beach Airport, ready to go, but we are on hold because of the very bad weather in Iowa. Please Seek Shelter or Safe Haven!” Trump wrote.
During a livestream broadcast from the rally location, Trump’s attorney Christina Bobb confirmed that the rally would be “postponed.” She did not say when and if the rally would be rescheduled. Trump later added in a follow-up post that it would be rescheduled “soon.”
This article will be updated as more details come available.
Trump was scheduled to hold a rally on Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa, marking his second visit to the GOP-led state since he announced his 2024 presidential bid this past November.
Trump will arrive for the rally on the same day his possible Republican rival Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will visit the state amid continued speculation about whether or not he will announce his 2024 presidential bid. Trump previously visited Iowa during a campaign stop in March.
The former president will be delivering a speech to his supporters at Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park where doors will open at 2 p.m. local time. Trump is set to deliver his speech at 7 p.m. while other guest speakers will take the podium starting at 4 p.m., according to The Des Moines Register.
Trump is facing several ongoing criminal investigations, including the probe into his alleged involvement in the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed the Capitol building to stop the certification of a Joe Biden victory. He is also being investigated for allegedly mishandling hundreds of classified documents that he took to his Mar-a-Lago residence when he left office in 2021, and for being allegedly involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. Trump has maintained his innocence in all cases against him.
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the Waco Regional Airport on March 25 in Waco, Texas. Trump will hold a rally on Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa, marking his second visit to the GOP-led state since he announced his 2024 presidential bid. Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images
How to Watch the Des Moines, Iowa, Rally
The rally will be live streamed on the conservative Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN), which announced on its website that it will provide all day coverage of the “Save America” event. C-SPAN will also air the event at 8 p.m. ET.
Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday morning that Fox News informed him that the network will air the entire rally, however Fox News didn’t respond to Newsweek‘s request on Saturday morning for confirmation that it would broadcast the event.
“FoxNews called to inform us that they will be airing the entire Iowa Rally tonight. They saw the record numbers done on CNN and want in on the action. Also, just out, I am leading DeSanctimonious by almost 30 points in FLORIDA, and leading Crooked Joe Biden BIG! See you later in Iowa,” the former president wrote.
The rally will also be broadcasted live on Newsmax starting 7 p.m. ET, according to the conservative network’s website.
“Former President Trump is speaking out across the country at rallies and other major events. Newsmax is there live to cover these important news events,” the network said on its website. “Most major cable news channels, including Fox News, have restricted or censored live coverage of these Trump rallies and speeches. Newsmax believes in your right to know. We don’t tell you how to think!”
Trump Is Heading to Iowa Under Pressure
In addition to the ongoing federal and state investigations against him, Trump was recently ordered to pay $5 million to former Elle columnist E. Jean Carroll after a jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation in a civil lawsuit that the writer filed against him after she accused him of raping her at a luxury department store in New York City in the 1990s.
By late March, Trump became the first president to be indicted for alleged hush money payments made to former adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claimed she had an affair with him in 2006, in the wake of the 2016 presidential election. Trump denied the affair with Daniels and maintained his innocence throughout the course of the investigation, which was led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.
A poll by The Des Moines Register/ Mediacom Iowa Poll from March showed that 74 percent of Republicans in Iowa would likely vote for Trump in 2024 if he secured the GOP nomination, including 47 percent who said they would definitely vote for him, while 27 percent said they would probably vote for him.
Though DeSantis has gained popularity within his own party, especially those who want to move on from Trump, recent polls revealed that the former president has a substantial lead over the Florida governor among potential Republican primary voters.
A YouGov/Yahoo News poll carried out among 451 registered voters from May 5 to 8 showed Trump ahead of DeSantis with 50 percent support compared to the governor’s 36 percent in a head-to-head match-up.
Newsweek reached out by email to Trump’s press team for comment.
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