Senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, and Minnesota Public Radio senior politics reporter Clay Masters discuss the atmosphere at campaign events in Iowa, the innovative strategies used by Republican candidates like Trump to engage voters, the closing arguments of Trump and Haley, the considerations of Iowa voters, and their plans for observing the Iowa caucuses.
Trump's rallies in Iowa are characterized by high-energy and confident mood, with a strong emphasis on defeating Joe Biden and educating supporters on the caucus process.
Nikki Haley presents herself as a measured and policy-focused candidate, highlighting her qualifications as a former UN ambassador and seeking to restore stability and unity to the Republican Party.
Deep dives
Trump's confident and energetic rallies focus on defeating Joe Biden
At Trump's rallies, the mood is high-energy and confident, with a strong focus on defeating Joe Biden. The events are filled with passionate Trump supporters who are loyal to the former president. Trump's speeches at these rallies emphasize his confidence in winning and energize his supporters, even in the face of legal challenges. Fellow Republicans are mentioned mainly in terms of occasional insults. The Trump campaign is making efforts to educate his supporters on the caucus process and motivate them to turn out despite potentially harsh weather conditions.
Nikki Haley's campaign emphasizes order, policy, and unity
Nikki Haley's events have a more measured and policy-focused tone. Her speeches highlight her qualifications as a former UN ambassador and include facts, figures, and policy points. She presents herself as a candidate who can bring order and unity to the party and the country. Haley distances herself from the mold of Donald Trump and positions herself as an establishment figure, seeking to restore a sense of stability and calmness to the Republican Party. The focus is on her qualifications and her vision for the future.
Ron DeSantis emphasizes similarities to Trump while claiming to be better
Ron DeSantis's campaign is built on a delicate balancing act of aligning himself with Trump while presenting himself as an improved version. His speeches frequently mention Donald Trump and criticize Trump's rivals, particularly Nikki Haley. DeSantis seeks to highlight his ability to carry out Trump's agenda more effectively, claiming that he can do what Trump couldn't. He channels Trump's style and policies but presents himself as distinct and better. DeSantis aims to position himself as the Iowa candidate, having visited all 99 counties and secured endorsements from influential figures. His focus is on Iowans and their issues.
Iowa Republicans caucus in less than a week. Republican presidential candidates are making their final rounds across the state, and our reporters are following their campaigns. We talk to two about what they've learned on the ground.
This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, and Minnesota Public Radio senior politics reporter Clay Masters.
This episode was edited by Erica Morrison. It was produced by Jeongyoon Han and Casey Morell. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.
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