Former President Donald Trump had to cancel his outdoor rally in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday due to multiple tornado warnings in a move he said was for the “safety of patriots.”
“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 message to Truth Social a few hours before the event.
Stay tuned, we’ll reschedule soon. Be safe there!’
The rally would parallel the appearance of his potential 2024 rival Ron DeSantis in the early voting state, as the two men gear up for a heated rivalry if Florida’s governor enters the race.
Former President Donald Trump had to cancel his outdoor rally in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday
The meeting was postponed for the “safety of patriots” as multiple tornado warnings had been issued in the region
Before the rally was officially canceled, more than 5,000 people were expected to attend the event.
Iowa Tornado Watch. For the safety of our great patriots, we have been asked to postpone or cancel today’s sold-out rally,” Trump posted on Truth Social when he postponed the rally.
“I’m near Palm Beach Airport, ready to go, but we’re on hold due to the very bad weather in Iowa. Please find shelter or safe haven!’
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning in the Des Moines area on Saturday, which is expected to remain in effect until at least 7 p.m.
Workers imagined the dismantling of structures at the meeting after it was postponed due to bad weather
Thousands of supporters lined up to attend the rally to hear the former president speak
Photos of attendees waiting in line to join the rally before its eventual cancellation
Earlier in the day, Ron DeSantis appeared to be playing a prank on Trump during a fundraising performance in Sioux Center, Iowa, about 3 hours from where the former president’s postponed rally was scheduled to take place.
The Florida governor lashed out at the GOP’s recent election battle, which was often blamed on the former president.
“There is no substitute for victory,” he said in a speech along with Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra. “We must reject the culture of losses that has infected our party in recent years.”
DeSantis remains Trump’s closest rival in the 2024 presidential race, and he is widely expected to announce his campaign in the coming months.
After a strong reelection that showed him ahead of the former president in several polls, a Trump resurgence has left Florida’s governor consistently trailing by about 20 points in recent polls.
In an NBC poll last month, Trump received 46 percent support from Republican primary voters, while DeSantis received 31 percent.
DeSantis’ appearance at a fundraiser saw him teasing a 2024 presidential platform to counter front-runner Donald Trump, where he warned that “government is not about entertaining.”
“Governing isn’t about building a brand or talking on social media and signaling virtues,” said DeSantis, who wore a blue button-down shirt with no tie or jacket. ‘In the end it’s about winning and getting results.’
He then spoke of his willingness to embrace conservative cultural battles and said the “time for excuses” for losing “is over,” another apparent joke against the former president who still insists he won the 2020 presidential election.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and his wife Casey, right, respond to audience members at a fundraising picnic for U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, on Saturday
DeSantis pictured wearing an apron while working in the room on May 13, 2023 at a fundraiser in Sioux Center, Iowa
A ‘Team DeSantis’ bus seen outside a fundraiser near a sign supporting Florida Governor’s potential 2024 campaign
DeSantis has previously avoided directly criticizing Trump in his recent appearances, but cited in his remarks Trump’s insistence that he win the 2020 election.
“If we get distracted, if we focus the election on the past or on other side issues, I think the Democrats are going to beat us again,” he said.
A pro-DeSantis super PAC, Never Back Down, has hired Iowa staff and has begun organizing support for the governor ahead of an announcement in 2024.
The group announced Thursday that Senate President Amy Sinclair and House Speaker Matt Windschitl would support DeSantis’ candidacy if he throws his hat in the ring.
On Friday, the organization rolled out about three dozen more state legislators who would support it.
During DeSantis’ performance at Sioux Center, Governor Kim Reynolds and Iowa Senator Joni Ernst were in attendance.
After his speech, DeSantis shook hands and chatted with voters for about 15 minutes as he maneuvered through the crowd, followed by reporters, TV cameras, and a security detail. He then ran outside to pose with Reynolds and Feenstra while tending burgers and chops at the grill.
Rock Valley’s Lyle and Sonia Remmerde shook hands. She said DeSantis’ style comes across as “normal.”
“One of the things when you compare Trump and DeSantis, I think DeSantis has — how do you say? — a much smoother approach,” said Lyle Remmerde, 65. “It’s less abrasive.”
His performance in Iowa marked his second visit to the state in two months, with the early voting state a common hot spot for presidential candidates.
Other candidates who have held rallies in the state in recent months include former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, both of whom have announced their candidacy.
Former Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina are among the leaders who have also hosted events in the state as they prepare for potential campaign announcements of their own.
Damage seen in Laguna Heights, Texas, on May 13, 2023, as a series of tornadoes swept through the U.S. interior
The National Weather Service has issued multiple tornado watches for the Des Moines area of Iowa through Saturday evening
It comes as more than two dozen tornadoes have swept across the U.S. interior in recent days and spanned numerous states, including Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Montana and Louisiana.
At least two people were killed as a tornado swept through the small Texas town of Laguna Heights, while more than a dozen people were injured.
The National Weather Service has issued multiple tornado watches for the Des Moines area of Iowa through Saturday night, with winds reaching 70 mph and large hail.
The effect was present until at least 7 p.m., leading to the cancellation of Trump’s expected rally that would have been in the storm’s path.