How an animated character named Marlon could help Trump win the Iowa caucuses
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa — Long before Donald Trump takes the stage, a waiting audience of hundreds of supporters sit fascinated as dramatic music begins to swell through the hall. A rotating planet Earth appears on projector screens.
“Making America Great Again begins in one place on Earth, and one place only,” a narrator begins in a deep voice as the image zooms into the center of the US, “right here in Iowa.”
It's the start of a nearly three-minute “Schoolhouse Rock!”-style video featuring an animated character named Marlon, who informs viewers of “everything you need to know about how to successfully caucus for President Trump.”
The goal is to deliver an impressive victory for the former president in the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15, paving the way for a romp through the Republican primaries and a strong start to the general election campaign. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley are battling for a remarkable finish in Iowa that could push either of them into a head-to-head battle with Trump for the GOP nomination.
Most campaigns use face time at events to encourage Iowans to advocate for the candidate, and they rely on pledge cards with names, addresses and phone numbers to recontact their supporters later. But the Trump campaign isn't waiting for voters to leave the stage — they're filling in any gaps in knowledge about how the caucuses work on the ground.
The social studies lesson, with its easy-to-follow instructions, is a reflection of how idiosyncratic the caucus process is. Unlike primaries, where voters can cast ballots all day long, caucusgoers in Iowa must show up at a specific time — 7 p.m. central time at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday – and at a location that may be different from their usual polling place. Caucusgoers must also remain sheltered in place for what could be a lengthy process of protocols and supporting speeches.
And it is often cold, sometimes it snows. Below-freezing temperatures are forecast across Iowa on caucus day.
“We would love bad weather,” Trump said in Newton on Saturday, arguing that it will deter other candidates' supporters, but not his. “My people will walk on glass.”
But it's not just the weather that makes it difficult for people to participate.
Marin Curtis, 25, of North Liberty was in line for a Trump rally in Coralville, but she's never been to a caucus before and she doesn't know much about it. Plus, she said, she has a toddler and might not make it.
Ron Wheeldon, 64, an indecisive truck driver from Newton, Iowa, has been canvassing for candidates at several campaign events, even though he will have to work the night shift on the day of the caucuses.
And last month at Sioux Center, Steve and Shari Rehder of Hawarden attended a forum of several key candidates, including DeSantis and Haley. They said they were interested in an alternative to Trump. But whoever they like doesn't get a vote on caucus night; they are on holiday abroad.
The get-out-the-vote efforts during Trump's 2024 campaign are a nod to lessons learned since 2016, when the political novice admitted he knew nothing about caucuses. Trump finished second to Senator Ted Cruz of Texas in the first ballot in Iowa that year, although he would later win the next three early states, the Republican nomination, and ultimately the presidency.
This year, the former president has touted his lead in national and early state polls, but he has also warned his supporters not to become complacent, saying he is not taking Iowa for granted. Last Friday at Sioux Center, he kicked off the first of at least eight “commit to caucus” events and noted that he plans to be back in Iowa on caucus day.
“Look, we have to get out and vote because, you know, bad things happen when you sit back,” Trump said, encouraging the crowd to “really show the power” of support. “We are voting now, but what happens in November is going to make a big difference.”
Wrapped in a blanket and waiting in line for Trump's rally, Josie Zeutenhorst, a 20-year-old from Sioux Center who attends Dordt University, said she wanted to hear from Trump in person rather than on TV. She realizes the impact voters can have on election results, but had no intention of participating in a caucus.
“I don't know enough about it, I guess,” she said. “I don't actually know how it works.”
In a follow-up interview after the meeting, Zeutenhorst said she found the caucus instructional video “very helpful” and felt more comfortable after learning the process.
“I'm really considering it,” she said about participating in the caucuses, though she's still unsure if it will work with her schedule.
Regan Ronning, 52, who attended a Trump rally in 2016, said the Trump campaign called him a few months ago to ask if he wanted to be caucus captain. Now he knocks on doors and calls people around him.
“Education plays a big role in that,” he said. Ronning thinks the videos and volunteers are helping because some people he talks to don't know what a caucus is. “I just try to tell them what the process is, that it's nothing scary.”
Trump's team has said they have held hundreds of trainings for their volunteers and district leaders, the individuals who represent the campaign within a given district on caucus night.
The campaign also caused captains to prioritize a new mission: bringing 10 people to the caucuses who have never participated in a caucus before. The campaign has identified several hundred thousand Trump supporters across Iowa who meet this requirement.
It's an approach they hope to repeat in the general election as they look to chip away at the Biden coalition and win over voters who have generally supported Democrats.
Meanwhile, Trump's competitors are trying to convince voters in Iowa that the race is not over.
“This is the most impactful vote you can cast. The number of people going to these caucuses is 150, 200,000 people,” DeSantis told a crowd at Sioux Center last week. “So if you come and you bring neighbors or relatives, you're in for a big hit.”
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Associated Press writers Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, and Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.