Trump Supporters in Iowa Back GOP but Press for Results Before Midterms
At a Sioux City rally for Senate candidate Ashley Hinson, Trump loyalists say they still support the president and Republicans but want action on the economy, congressional gridlock and election security before Nov. 3.
President Donald Trump's most loyal supporters in Iowa say they still have his back and plan to vote Republican in the midterm elections, but they are sending a pointed warning to the party: deliver on the promises that brought them out, or risk losing the enthusiasm that put the GOP in power.
Speaking outside a Trump rally in Sioux City, where the president was campaigning for Rep. Ashley Hinson in her tightening Senate race against Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek, several backers told reporters they remain committed to the movement while voicing frustration over stubbornly high prices, continued foreign conflicts and what they see as paralysis in Congress.
Trump and Republicans campaigned on lowering inflation, ending what they called «forever wars» and repairing an economy they said had been damaged by former President Joe Biden's administration. But prices remain elevated, and the ongoing war in Iran has pushed fuel costs higher heading into the Nov. 3 election, leaving some supporters hoping for a course correction.
Beth Fitzl, an Iowa voter, said she does not «agree with everything he does, but in the end, he's here for us.» She compared Trump to the Green Bay Packers, saying that even when the team falls behind, «they always pull it off in the end.» Fitzl added that she believes the president will «pull something to turn it around.»
Chuck Jones, a veteran and Purple Heart recipient who traveled from Minnesota for the rally, said he is frustrated by the tribal nature of politics. «These politicians, they're fighting for one thing on one side, and other people are fighting for something on the other side, but there's nobody sitting at the table in the middle,» he said.
Jones said Republicans and the president need to show a different approach if they keep control of Washington after the election. «People aren't happy with the way things have been in the last few years,» he said, adding that lawmakers must «work together instead of fighting each other» and «decisively show the American public that you can get it done and get it done correctly.»
Hinson's race is one of six toss-ups Senate Republicans are trying to hold. She and Turek are competing for the seat held by Sen. Joni Ernst, who opted to retire last year. The contest has grown surprisingly close given that Trump won Iowa by roughly 13 points in 2024 and has carried the state each time he has appeared on the ballot.
Dawn Stanley, an Iowa voter who has backed Trump in each of the last three elections, said she still planned to support him and Hinson. She criticized Turek for missing 261 votes in the state legislature between January and May while campaigning, saying he had not «showed up» for Iowa.
Stanley said her biggest frustration with Republicans was their failure to pass the SAVE America Act, voter ID and election security legislation that Senate Democrats have consistently blocked. «I really do think it comes down to the SAVE Act,» she said, arguing that the country is in «chaos» and that Trump is the leader who can stop it.
Others at the rally worried that Democrats could regain power and that Republican voters might stay home on Nov. 3. Kurt, who traveled from South Dakota, said the priority is turnout. «Republican people need to get out the vote,» he said. «They stay home too much. This is a war to be won with the Left, as far as I'm concerned.»
The warning from the base comes as voters nationwide prepare to weigh in on Trump's handling of the economy and as both parties pour resources into a handful of Senate battlegrounds. For Republicans, the challenge is converting loyalty to the president into votes for candidates like Hinson, whose race could help determine control of the chamber.
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