By Emmanuel Bobby
President Donald Trump launched his first midterm campaign-style speech of the new year Tuesday, using a rally in Iowa to urge supporters to buck historical trends and protect Republican control of Congress.
After ticking through what he described as his administration’s major accomplishments over the past year, Trump warned that losing the House or Senate would derail his agenda.
“If we lose the midterms, you’ll lose so many of the things that we’re talking about — so many of the assets, so many of the tax cuts,” Trump told the crowd. “It would lead to very bad things. We’ve got to win the midterms.”
Earlier in the day, Trump elaborated on what he meant by “bad things” during an interview at a Des Moines–area restaurant. Asked what would happen if Democrats regained control of Congress, he predicted another impeachment effort.
“They’ll probably try to impeach me,” Trump told Fox News host Will Cain. “They’ll find something. I made the wrong turn at an exit, and ‘let’s impeach him.’”
Trump was impeached twice during his first term, though the Senate acquitted him both times.
His Iowa appearance marked the opening move in what White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has said will be a sustained effort to campaign aggressively ahead of the 2026 midterms. Wiles has previously said Trump plans to mobilize voters by campaigning as if he himself were back on the ballot, hoping to break the long-standing pattern in which sitting presidents lose congressional seats during midterm elections.
Whether Trump maintains a heavy travel schedule remains uncertain. “I don’t like to travel,” he told Republican House members earlier this month. Still, the president appears keenly aware of the stakes. A Democratic-controlled Congress would gain subpoena power, potentially stalling his agenda and launching investigations into his administration’s border enforcement, trade policies and spending decisions.
In Iowa, Trump embraced the role of a candidate-in-chief. Before his Fox News interview, he worked the room at the Machine Shed restaurant, greeting diners, posing for photos and signing hats.
“I’m here because I love Iowa, but I’m here because we’re starting to campaign to win the midterms,” Trump said in his speech. “You’ve got to win the midterms. That means Senate, and it means House.”
He singled out several Iowa Republicans seeking reelection, including Reps. Ashley Hinson, Randy Feenstra, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn.
“They’re all great, and they’re all running, and they should be in good shape,” Trump said. “But you’ve got to get out and vote.”
Trump leaned heavily on familiar themes, touting economic gains under his administration while blaming lingering problems on former President Joe Biden. Democrats, meanwhile, argue Trump is politically vulnerable amid widespread frustration over high prices and plan to make the cost of groceries and utilities a central midterm issue.
Trump dismissed that argument, saying he inherited high inflation and has worked to bring prices down.
“It’s a word they came up with: ‘affordability,’” he said of Democrats. “Every time you hear that word, remember, they’re the ones that caused the problem.”
Inflation peaked at 9.1% during Biden’s presidency and stood at 2.7% in December. Still, many Americans report feeling financially squeezed. Grocery prices rose broadly in December, and electricity costs increased 7% over the past year.
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that just 35% of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, compared with 59% who disapprove.
Other issues may loom large as the midterms approach, including immigration. The administration has faced intense scrutiny following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis during immigration enforcement operations. Trump did not mention the deaths in his Iowa speech, but addressed the controversy during his Fox News interview, acknowledging changes to the leadership of the Minneapolis operation.
Trump said he sidelined Gregory Bovino, the public face of the effort, and dispatched his border “czar,” Tom Homan, to help calm tensions.
“Bovino is very good,” Trump said. “But he’s a pretty out-there kind of guy. And in some cases, that’s good. Maybe it wasn’t good here.”
Trump also sought to highlight his support for Iowa’s agricultural economy, backing legislation to allow year-round sales of high-ethanol E-15 gasoline. During the remarks, he appeared to misspeak, saying, “China will be sending me a bill very shortly supporting year-round E-15 to my desk very quickly, and I will sign it without delay.” The White House did not immediately clarify the comment.
The president closed by revisiting past Democratic leadership, mocking former President Barack Obama and blaming previous administrations for weakening border security.
“Barack Hussein Obama. Wonderful president. Really brought people together, didn’t he?” Trump said sarcastically.
Obama was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win Iowa, carrying the state twice. Trump has won Iowa in all three of his general election campaigns.
“Should we do it a fourth time?” Trump asked to applause, despite the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment limiting presidents to two elected terms.
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