Trump tells Iowa rally he will 'very, very, very probably' run for president in 2024


Former President Donald Trump held a rally in Sioux City, Iowa, on Thursday night, ostensibly to support Sen. Chuck Grassley's (R-Iowa) re-election bid. But Iowa is also traditionally the first state in the nation to pick between presidential primary candidates, and Trump once more tiptoed up to line of announcing his 2024 candidacy.
"The election was rigged and stolen — I ran twice, I won twice," Trump said, falsely, to the crowd of about 5,500 rally-goers. "Now, in order to make our country successful and safe and glorious, I'll very, very, very probably do it again." He repeated, "Very, very, very," then said, "Get ready, that's all I'm telling you."
Trump advisers have spent much of the past year urging him to wait until after the 2022 midterms to announce his candidacy, though "in many ways, he is already acting like a 2024 candidate," The Washington Post reports. He has already begun picking people he wants to work on his campaign and considering venues to launch his comeback bid, the Post adds. Trump narrowly lost the Iowa caucus to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in 2016, and a recent Des Moines Register poll found most Iowans view Trump unfavorably, with even some Trump supporters admitting they have doubts about voting for him a third time.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
How will the new tax deductions on auto loans work?
the explainer Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced a tax deduction on auto loan interest — but eligibility for the tax break is limited
-
Is Trump actually going to prosecute Obama for 'treason'?
Today's Big Question Or is this just a distraction from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal?
-
5 best movie sequels of all time
The Week Recommends The second time is only sometimes as good as the first
-
'Spending is what card issuers are hoping you will do'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump executive order targets homeless
Speed Read It will now be easier for states and cities to remove homeless people from the streets
-
Columbia pays $200M to settle with White House
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the school of failing to protect its Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests
-
Florida judge and DOJ make Epstein trouble for Trump
Speed Read The Trump administration's request to release grand jury transcripts from the Epstein investigation was denied
-
Trump attacks Obama as Epstein furor mounts
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the Obama administration of 'treasonous' behavior during the 2016 election
-
Deportations: The growing backlash
Feature New poll numbers show declining support for Trump's deportation crackdown
-
Is Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' cancellation an omen of something worse?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION CBS said its decision to end the talk show was strictly business. But the timing and nature of the announcement has some observers wondering if there's more at play behind the scenes.
-
Trump administration releases MLK files
Speed Read Newly released documents on the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did not hold any new revelations, King historians said