Trump to campaign in Iowa with Hinson as Senate race tightens

President Donald Trump is traveling to Iowa on Thursday to hold a campaign rally alongside Representative Ashley Hinson, aiming to bolster her bid for an open U.S. Senate seat during an increasingly difficult midterm cycle for Republicans.

The appearance in Sioux City comes as Hinson faces a unexpectedly close battle against Democratic state Representative Josh Turek. Although Trump captured Iowa by double digits in 2024, the state has been strained by elevated energy costs and fallout from agricultural trade disputes, including Chinese boycotts of domestic soybeans. The tightening contest has threatened the Republican Party's path to maintaining control of the Senate.

While Hinson initially campaigned as a stalwart partner for the White House, she has recently recalibrated her approach. During a debate against Turek earlier this month, the two-term congresswoman stressed that she would align with the president only when advantageous for local interests, vowing to voice disagreement whenever necessary. She reiterated that stance on Fox News, stating she is willing to challenge the president directly if he makes mistakes.

Hinson has broken with the administration on specific foreign policy choices in recent weeks. Speaking to journalists after a recent event in Des Moines, she criticized White House sanction waivers for Moscow, asserting that the country should avoid making deals with Russia. She also urged an prompt conclusion to the conflict involving Iran, despite having voted against a House resolution in September that sought to limit presidential authority regarding military actions there.

During their debate, Turek attacked that record, tying Hinson's foreign policy stances to rising domestic fuel expenses. Hinson countered that any resolution to the conflict must ensure regional allies stay secure and prevent Iranian nuclear capabilities, arguing that further congressional war powers measures would impede an orderly finish to the hostilities.

Hinson has anchored her statewide pitch to voters around a relatable persona, presenting herself as a minivan-driving mother delivering common sense to Capitol Hill. She described receiving a brief call from the president while running errands, during which she brought up Chinese trade talks and agricultural exports crucial to local farmers.

Thursday's stop marks Trump's second political trip to Iowa this year. The event follows an appearance last month in the Oval Office where Trump, accompanied by Hinson, unveiled plans for a major new steel production facility in the state.