The second major snow event of the week hit Iowa on Friday, just three days before the state’s crucial presidential nomination process is set to kick off. As life-threatening winter weather conditions took hold, candidates and caucus-goers alike faced extra challenges in their bid to shape the 2024 US election.
According to the National Weather Service, most of Iowa could expect significant, possibly record snowfall, high winds, and blizzard conditions. With white-out conditions likely on Friday and extreme wind chills as low as -45F possible through early next week, the stage was set for a potentially treacherous few days.
In Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa, heavy snow covered the streets overnight and continued to fall. The city was largely deserted, apart from the occasional car, as the temperature hovered at around 15F. At the local Target, students and other residents stocked up on supplies as snowplows worked outside.
Schools and businesses closed, and even the Des Moines Performing Arts announced the postponement of Civic Center shows by the percussion group Stomp. Amidst the chaos, Donald Trump, who faces 91 criminal charges and is widely expected to win the Iowa caucuses, opted to skip in-person campaigning, instead spending time in warm courtrooms in Washington and New York while his surrogates made Arctic treks between churches and town halls.
Donald Trump (Via Donald Trump/Twitter)Trump, who famously confused boy scouts and angered parents with a speech about partying in New York, was urged on by Ben Carson, the neurosurgeon who ran for president in 2016 and became housing secretary in the Trump administration. According to Carson, backing Trump was okay, saying “not everyone in the Bible was a boy scout.” Trump’s campaign, however, expressed concern about the impact of the weather on the caucus process, with a senior adviser indicating that “the weather issue may take away the intensity.”
Among Trump’s remaining challengers, Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor, canceled in-person events on Friday, replacing them with “tele town halls.” A spokesperson said the snow would not stop the campaign “ensuring Iowans hear Nikki’s vision for a strong and proud America.” Ron DeSantis, the hard-right Florida governor, and Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur, both pressed on, with Ramaswamy documenting a spot of difficulty with the weather and saying “we’ll continue to every last one for as long as we can physically make it.”
While Trump’s lead in the polls appears insurmountable, the battle for second place between Haley and DeSantis is set to draw most attention. Should Haley win, she would tee herself up for a tilt at Trump in New Hampshire, while DeSantis would likely drop out. Ultimately, much will depend on how caucus attendance is affected by the severe weather conditions, and how the candidates navigate the challenges posed by the snowstorm.