Why Donald Trump Canceled Three of His Four Scheduled Weekend Events Before the Iowa Caucuses

As the Iowa caucuses approach, the weather continues to affect the presidential candidates' schedules. Former President Donald Trump has already postponed three of his four scheduled in-person caucus speeches for this very reason. As reported by CNN, Trump is still expected to host one live event this Sunday in Indianola. A tele-rally with Iowa state representative Bobby Kaufmann has been scheduled in place of the second event that his campaign was planning to host in Cherokee.

Not too long after his campaign disclosed the changes, Trump said in a video statement uploaded on X, "I'll get there sometime around Saturday night or something, one way or the other I'm getting there. You have the worst weather I guess in recorded history, but maybe that's good because our people are more committed than anyone else so maybe it’s actually a good thing for us. But we have to make sure we caucus on Monday. I’ll get to see you on Sunday and Monday and maybe Saturday night late. It’s going to be a little bit of a trek, nobody knows how exactly we’re going to get there, but we’re going to figure it out. And we wouldn’t miss it for anything." He added, "We have record cold weather, record snowfall, record everything, but we will not miss it."

The video was released at the same time that the campaign was forced to postpone four scheduled events due to Trump's voluntary court appearances on Tuesday and Thursday this week. Trump last spoke at a campaign rally in Newton, Clinton, on January 6. He was in Iowa on Wednesday for a Fox News town hall. This weekend's four-stop tour through Iowa may have been a decisive advantage for Trump in the days leading up to the Iowa caucuses, in an election season when the former President has had a more relaxed campaign schedule than some of his Republican opponents. Trump will now participate in three tele rallies this weekend, one on Saturday, one on Sunday, and one on Monday. Additionally, Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle are set to campaign for Trump in Ankeny on Monday.

For half a century, Iowans have congregated in community centers, family living rooms, and school gymnasiums to initiate the country's presidential nomination process. Due to the severe snowfall affecting the whole state recently, Republican presidential contenders have been canceling events left and right. Shortly before midnight, the snowfall began in Des Moines, and travel in the metro region and eastern counties was prohibited on Friday. There are concerns regarding turnout, as Iowa may have the coldest Caucus Day ever. The National Weather Service in Des Moines reported that although snow is not expected on January 15, an 'arctic cold' will hit the state.