Trump Adds Trip to Storm-Ravaged Iowa With State Up for Grabs
Trump Adds Trip to Storm-Ravaged Iowa With State Up for Grabs
(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump added a trip to Iowa to his Tuesday schedule as his support slips in a swing state that’s recovering from a calamitous storm even as it was already suffering the economic effects of the coronavirus.
Trump’s decision visit the state -- days after a trip by Vice President Mike Pence -- illustrates his concern over a state he won by nine points in 2016 but is now up for grabs in his race with Democrat Joe Biden.
Last week, a devastating storm struck Iowa with 100-mile-per-hour winds, leaving three people dead and scores injured and wiping out millions of acres of corn and soybeans. On Monday, Trump said he approved an emergency declaration for the state. On Tuesday, he is scheduled to take part in a disaster recovery briefing in Cedar Rapids, according to the White House.
The state’s latest estimates indicate that 13.8 million of the 23 million acres of corn and soybeans were affected by the derecho wind storm.
At the same time, farmers are continuing to struggle with declining demand for crops as a result of restaurant and meat plant closures due to the coronavirus.
In a poll by Monmouth University earlier this month, Trump had a two point lead over Biden -- within the margin of error.
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