It marks Trump's first visit to the first-in-the-nation GOP caucus state since his return to the White House. Trump last attended the Iowa State Fair in August 2023 in the leadup to Iowa's 2024 Republican presidential caucuses.

Trump was in town to help kick off the one-year lead-up to the nation’s semiquincentennial, which celebrates the 250 th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He said he was “thrilled” to be back in Iowa and reminisced on the historically cold caucus night he won in 2024.

Trump's trade policies have hit Iowa's farmers hard, especially with China's retaliatory tariffs slashing soybean exports and prices.