President Trump is holding a massive rally in eastern Iowa, where crowds of supporters camped out for more than 24 hours to hear him speak Wednesday evening.
The president is speaking at the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Cedar Rapids. It's Trump's fifth rally since he became president and his first rally since late April, when he held an event that took place at the same time as the White House Correspondents Dinner.
President Trump defeated Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton in Iowa, winning 51.8 percent of the vote to Clinton's 42.2 percent.
Before speaking at the rally Wednesday, Trump visited Kirkwood Community College, a Cedar Rapids school known for its agriculture department. Agriculture and technology were reportedly the focus of the president's visit. The rally was also expected to be a send-off for new U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad.
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Some supporters traveled to Iowa from as far away as Florida, Minnesota, Nebraska and Ohio to see the speech.
Beck Gee, 32, of Ohio, told BuzzFeed News: "We just kind of give each other energy and encouragement, and just being with other supporters who have that positivity really helps, just gets us in the mood for the rally itself. This is just a whole event, even though we're just sitting out here. It looks like it would be boring; it's not. It's awesome. We love it."
Police have stepped up law enforcement in the area, according to KGRG-TV 9. A large protest against the rally is expected to take place nearby.
"We want to make sure it's a peaceful event for those who want to support the president and attend the event. As well as those who want to exercise their political freedoms and potential those protesting the decisions," Greg Buelow of the Cedar Rapids Police Department told KCRG.
Women's March Iowa is one of the groups protesting Trump. The organization purchased billboards along Trump's travel route through Cedar Rapids. The signs focused on health care, human rights, education and clean water, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported.
One billboard read: "No fear. No hate. Don't take the bait. Iowa resists."
Trump drew thousands of supporters to Cedar Rapids in October, the Gazette reported.
Tana Goertz, co-chairwoman of Trump's 2016 Iowa campaign, told the paper: "I was just with him in the Oval Office, and he told me that out of all the rallies I had for him in Iowa, Cedar Rapids was his favorite because he loved the crowd, the energy, the fireworks."
Goertz said Trump's visit is an acknowledgement of the role Iowa played in supporting him in the 2016 election.
"Without Iowa, he doesn’t become president," she said.
Goertz said Trump plans "to let the American people know he’s working very, very hard for us and that he is honoring the promises and commitments he made to all of us who voted for him. He wants people to know he is working diligently in Washington to be transformative and to change the status quo."
The Gazette's editorial board wrote an open letter to Trump Tuesday urging the president to stop "campaigning." It stated, in part:
Mr. President, the campaign is over. You won. Now is not the time to rally. Now is the time to sell your policies, listen to Americans with a stake in those efforts and govern.
Iowans have questions and concerns about your plans. They can’t be heard over the cheers of a rally.
Iowa farmers are concerned about how your efforts to rewrite trade agreements will affect valuable overseas markets for Iowa’s bounty. Your budget blueprint includes cuts in crop insurance and other programs our producers depend upon, especially now in tough times. They’re also worried about cuts to science agencies that approve new crop developments and responses to pests and disease.
Cedar Rapids still is waiting to hear whether the federal government will deliver on its promise to help pay for flood protection in the heart of the city. We hope you’ll let us know how you plan to address the issue and end our wait. And although we understand addressing climate change is not among your priorities, we will point out that the more frequent heavy rains it spawns have brought major flooding to this city twice in eight years. Preparing for the worst is a priority here, not a hoax.
Just a short chat with local leaders clearly would show the project’s importance.
We understand your strong desire to save America’s coal industry. But here in Iowa, we’re already generating a large percentage of our power through alternative energy sources. We’re a state that benefits from economic opportunities sparked by producing energy from the wind, the sun and the crops we grow.
Maybe you’ll see a wind farm or two as you fly in today.
More than 70,000 Iowans face losing health insurance obtained through the Affordable Care Act as uncertainty, indecision and partisan politics roil the health care system. You promised a “terrific” Obamacare replacement, but we haven’t seen anything resembling a terrific plan. There are fears of deep cuts to Medicaid funding for states such as Iowa, jeopardizing care for thousands more. Your appointee to run the Medicare and Medicaid system is the same consultant who advised Iowa to swiftly privatize its Medicaid program, spawning confusion and consternation for patients and providers.
We’ve read troubling reports indicating your attorney general may seek to prosecute medical marijuana providers and users in states where its legal. That’s very bad news for suffering Iowans and their families who have been lobbying hard at the Statehouse for years to gain access to medical cannabis.
You really should sit down with some of those Iowans and hear their stories. ...