Iowa

Iowa residents’ support for Trump may be showing signs of shrinking

Published

1 year ago

August 17, 2023

Iowa residents’ support for Trump may be showing signs of shrinking

Trump, on the other hand, has visited the state less than a handful of times, opting instead to rely on his name and the network he built in 2016 and 2020 to maintain enthusiasm among supporters.

His latest whirlwind trip took place on Saturday at the Iowa State Fair – a political rite of passage where candidates try to impress unpredictable voters, navigate their way through animal pavilions and endless food stalls, and deliver stump speeches that appeal to the region’s predominantly white and religious working-class masses.

Former president Donald Trump campaigning in Iowa at the weekend.Credit: AP

In 2015, Trump, then a reality TV star who had set his sights on the highest office in America, arrived at the fair in his helicopter.

This time, his goal was to steal the show from his main rivals – and troll DeSantis. He entered the venue with a bevy of Florida House members who had endorsed him over DeSantis; delivered remarks to a sweaty audience in a beer barn; and he posed for photos with Iowa’s signature dish: pork chop on a stick.

Yet, despite Trump’s ability to pull a crowd, there are signs that many Iowans, such as Becker, are growing weary of the former president and want the party to move on.

The registered nurse says she and her farmer husband do their best to raise their two children, aged 7 and 4, but “trying to afford food, daycare, education needs and gas is tough”.

“We need somebody to just change the direction we’re going in financially,” she tells me, the day after Trump was indicted over election subversion in Georgia.

“We voted for Mr Trump previously, and we liked the direction he was taking, but unfortunately the chaos of everything is not what America needs right now. It just seems more like a vendetta between Democrats and Republicans.”

Elsewhere, past the food stalls spruiking culinary delights such as double-bacon corn dogs and deep-fried pickles, Earle Driscoll has a nuanced view.

US Senator and presidential hopeful Tim Scott with cattle farmer Erle Driscoll.Credit: Farrah Tomazin

Dressed in a cowboy hat and green shirt, the cattle farmer and self-described “hillbilly” says Trump remains in his top three Republican picks for president: the other two being Scott and “that Indian fellow” – a reference to entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who impressed the audience at the fair last week with a performance of Eminem’s Lose Yourself.

But like many other conservatives, Driscoll fears Trump is his own worst enemy, which he believes won’t bode well if he ends up in court to fight the four cases against him.

“I like Donald Trump. He says what he means and he does what he says. He just needs to stay off social media and keep his mouth shut.”

Similar views were shared across the fair, which attracts about 1 million people over 11 days and is America’s biggest and oldest agricultural exhibition.

“He causes too much turmoil and he just bad-mouths people,” said one woman from the state capital of Des Moines.

Businessman and Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy sings at the end of a Fair-Side Chat with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.Credit: AP

“It’s time to stop looking in the rearview mirror,” said another. “We need to focus on Joe Biden.”

The challenge for candidates is confronting Trump, whose momentum keeps building with every indictment.

There are now four: alleged hush money paid to a porn star; claims that he mishandled classified documents; an alleged plot to stop Biden becoming president; and an alleged racketeering scheme to subvert the presidential election results in Georgia.

According to the latest New York Times/Siena College poll released this month, 44 per cent of Republican voters in Iowa say they would choose Trump as their Republican nominee, followed by DeSantis at 20 per cent.

Republican presidential candidate Senator Tim Scott works the grill at the Iowa Pork Producers Tent.Credit: AP

Scott, whose positive story about going from “Cotton to Congress” is at odds with the grievance politics of the former president– comes in third, with about 9 per cent of the vote.

But if the South Carolina senator is worried, he’s certainly not showing it – at least not in front of the cameras as he flips pork burgers and chops at the fair’s famous pork tent, before handing out samples of his freshly cooked BBQ to the assembled media.

Asked about Trump’s latest indictment, Scott did what most Republican candidates have done: stay neutral rather than directly attack him for fear of upsetting his base.

He suggested the legal system was “being weaponised against political opponents”, a development he described as “un-American”.

As for how he plans to build momentum against the overwhelming Republican frontrunner?

“Our poll numbers continue to go up and more importantly, people are showing up in large numbers and my crowds continue to increase,” says Scott.

“It is refreshing, people tell me, to have an actual conversation about the substantive issues … and staying focused on what the average person in this state is talking about.

“And frankly, the average person in this state is more concerned about Bidenomics or their kids than presidential candidates. So I’ll continue focusing on what they want.”

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Iowa

What channel is Iowa State vs. West Virginia game tonight (10/12/24)? FREE LIVE STREAM, Time, TV, Channel for college football, Week 7

Published

4 hours ago

October 12, 2024

Press Room

What channel is Iowa State vs. West Virginia game tonight (10/12/24)? FREE LIVE STREAM, Time, TV, Channel for college football, Week 7

The No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones, led by quarterback Rocco Becht, face the West Virginia Mountaineers, led by quarterback Garrett Greene on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 (10/12/24) at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, W. Va.

How to watch: Fans can watch the game for free via a trial of DirecTV Stream or fuboTV. You can also watch via a subscription to Sling TV.

Here’s what you need to know:

What: NCAA Football, Week 7

Who: Iowa State vs. West Virginia

When: Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024

Where: Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: FOX

Live stream: fuboTV (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial)

***

Here are the best streaming options for college football this season:

Fubo TV (free trial): fuboTV carries ESPN, FOX, ABC, NBC and CBS.

DirecTV Stream (free trial): DirecTV Stream carries ESPN, FOX, NBC and CBS.

Sling TV ($25 off the first month)– Sling TV carries ESPN, FOX, ABC and NBC.

ESPN+($9.99 a month): ESPN+ carries college football games each weekend for only $9.99 a month. These games are exclusive to the platform.

Peacock TV ($5.99 a month): Peacock will simulstream all of NBC Sports’ college football games airing on the NBC broadcast network this season, including Big Ten Saturday Night. Peacock will also stream Notre Dame home games. Certain games will be streamed exclusively on Peacock this year as well.

Paramount+ (free trial): Paramount Plus will live stream college football games airing on CBS this year.

***

Here’s a preview capsule via the Associated Press:

No. 11 Iowa State (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) at West Virginia (3-2, 2-0), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (Fox)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Iowa State by 3.

Series record: West Virginia leads 6-5.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Iowa State is off to its best start since 1980, and a win would make them 6-0 for the first time since 1938. The Cyclones are looking to extend their road winning streak to seven games. West Virginia is going after its third straight win after a 1-2 start. Iowa State and West Virginia are 2-0 in conference play. One of them will forge a first-place tie with idle Texas Tech.

KEY MATCHUP

Iowa State’s defense vs. West Virginia QB Garrett Greene. Of the dual-threat quarterbacks the Cyclones have faced so far, Greene could be the best. He had runs of 39, 15 and 10 yards against Oklahoma State last week and is averaging 5.4 yards per carry and 59 yards per game. Run defense hasn’t been a strength for the Cyclones, who hope to force Greene to try to beat them through the air. Iowa State has the Big 12’s top defense, allowing just 10 points and 272 yards per game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Iowa State: LB Kooper Ebel has led or co-led the team in tackles in three straight games. He made just three tackles in eight games as a freshman last year. He added 15 pounds to get up to 240 on his 6-foot-4 frame and has made at least six stops in all five games. Last week he had eight tackles and a quarterback hurry against Baylor.

West Virginia: RB Jahiem White. The sophomore ran for a season-high 158 yards in the lopsided win at Oklahoma State and the Mountaineers compiled 389 on the ground. White hopes to be back on track after being limited to 94 yards combined against No. 4 Penn State, No. 22 Pittsburgh and Kansas.

FACTS & FIGURES

Anthony Becht, a tight end for the Mountaineers from 1996 to 1999, will be honored during the game for his induction into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. His son, Rocco, is Iowa State’s quarterback. … The Cyclones have won 12 straight when scoring at least 30 points. They’ve scored at least 30 in the last five meetings with WVU. … ISU had nine plays of 20 or more yards against Baylor last week, tied for the most by a Power Four team against a conference opponent this season. … The Cyclones’ defense gets better as the game progresses. They’re allowing an average of 4.0 points and 112 yards in the second halves. … West Virginia will wear all-black uniforms in honor of the state’s coal mining industry.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)

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Iowa

Rosemount H.S. Marching Band wins at Iowa competition

Published

11 hours ago

October 12, 2024

Press Room

Rosemount H.S. Marching Band wins at Iowa competition

The Rosemount High School Marching Band is celebrating a big victory from a competition earlier this fall. In late September they took home the Class AAA Championship trophy at the Bands of America regional competition in Waukee, Iowa. Members of the band joined the FOX 9 Morning News to talk about the win and share how they are getting ready for another big competition this weekend at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

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