Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson welcomed President Donald Trump back to Iowa on Thursday after days of confusion over whether his Dubuque rally would happen, brushing aside a Fox News question about whether the president's return signaled weakness in her campaign.
The exchange, first reported by Mediaite, came on Fox News' America Reports as Hinson heads into the final stretch of a race that recent polls show in a dead heat with Democratic opponent Josh Turek.
Reporter Presses Hinson on Trump Rally Reversal
The back and forth began when Fox News correspondent Grady Trimble noted the whiplash surrounding the president's planned Sunday stop in Dubuque. The rally was announced, then cancelled by the Republican National Committee, which said Republicans in Iowa were in a strong position, and then revived after a reporter asked Trump whether he had scrapped the trip because he was sick of traveling.
Trimble noted Hinson had already campaigned with Trump in Iowa a little more than a week earlier and asked what the president brings in the final days before the election.
Trump had faced criticism after Reuters White House correspondent Jacob Bogage raised the travel question, an exchange that drew a sharp reaction from the president and surprised the hosts of Fox's America's Newsroom, according to Alternet.
Hinson: Iowa's Senate Seat Must Be Held
Hinson, a congresswoman now running for the Senate seat, framed the president's visit as a spotlight on how important Iowa is.
“We have to hold this U.S. Senate seat. We have to get people out to vote. The future of our country depends on it,” Hinson said.
She also pointed to the issues she said are driving Iowa voters, including the cost of living for the state's farmers and working families.
“We have to drive prices down for the people who feed and fuel the world. We have to make the American dream more affordable and attainable. That means by addressing housing and child care and the issues Iowans families are facing,” Hinson said. “I'm ready and equipped to do that. I'm the minivan-driving mom, driving that common sense back into Washington, D.C.”
Is the Race Closer Than Republicans Expected?
Trimble followed up by citing the RNC's stated reason for cancelling the rally, that Republicans in Iowa were in a strong position, and asked directly whether Trump's return suggested otherwise.
“Does it say that you're not in a strong position that he's coming back, or is it just that you're thankful to have his support?” Trimble asked.
Hinson did not take the bait.
“I'm thankful to have the president come back. I know I'm going to win on Tuesday,” Hinson said. “I know I'm going to win on Tuesday. I need to get our voters out here in Iowa, so I'm grateful for the president spotlighting what's at stake in this election and how liberal my opponent is. He's not ready for Iowa leadership.”
Dead Heat With Democrat Josh Turek
The latest polling shows Hinson locked in a statistical tie with Turek, a Democrat whose campaign has gained ground in a state Trump carried. The tightening race has drawn national attention, with Trump now scheduled to rally in Dubuque on Sunday and in Salina, Kansas, the same day.
The Dubuque stop gives Hinson a high-profile boost in the state's northeast corner, a region where turnout could decide which party controls the Senate seat. Republicans view holding it as essential to keeping the chamber, and Trump's decision to return suggests the White House sees the race the same way.
Trump's Busy Final Stretch
The Iowa and Kansas rallies cap a final-week travel schedule that has already included a Thursday stop in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where Trump campaigned for Senator Lindsey Graham. That race has also turned out tighter than Republicans had hoped, The Independent reported, with Democrat Annie Andrews mounting a surprisingly strong challenge.
The South Carolina event produced its own media moment when Fox News interviewed a man in the crowd who turned out to be a Trump critic hoping to see what he called a cult in person, according to The Daily Beast.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Trump's Dubuque rally?
The rally is scheduled for Sunday, two days before Tuesday's election, with a second stop the same day in Salina, Kansas.
Why was the rally cancelled and then revived?
The RNC initially cancelled the event, saying Republicans in Iowa were in a strong position. Trump revived it after a reporter asked whether he had called it off because he was sick of traveling.
Who is running against Ashley Hinson?
Hinson, a Republican congresswoman, faces Democrat Josh Turek, whom the latest polls show in a dead heat with her.