Trump forced to cancel outdoor Iowa rally due to tornado warnings

Former President Trump was forced to cancel his outdoor rally in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday, due to tornado warnings.

“Unfortunately, due to the Tornado Warnings in Des Moines, we are forced to cancel today’s outdoor Rally at the Lauridsen Amphitheater,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, a few hours before the event. “Stay tuned, we will reschedule soon. Be safe out there!”

Trump’s rally was set to coincide with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) visit to the critical early-voting state, keying up dueling events between the two leading candidates in the 2024 Republican primary.

DeSantis made an appearance at Rep. Randy Feenstra’s (R-Iowa) annual Feenstra Family Picnic in Sioux Center, Iowa, earlier on Saturday, where he appeared to take a jab at the former president’s recent election losses.

“There’s no substitute for victory,” DeSantis said. “We must reject the culture of losing that has infected our party in recent years.”

Trump was largely blamed for his party’s subpar performance in the 2022 midterm elections, as some in the GOP lamented the quality of several of the hardline candidates he backed.

DeSantis is also set to speak at a state GOP fundraiser in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, later on Saturday.

While he sits the closest to the former president in the polls, the Florida governor remains nearly 30 points behind, according to a polling aggregate from FiveThirtyEight. DeSantis has not yet announced a 2024 presidential bid, though he said a decision could come “soon.”