CORALVILLE, Iowa — Former President Donald Trump is setting new and lofty expectations in Iowa one month out from the caucuses, saying he’s looking not only to win, but to defeat his Republican opponents by a wide margin.
During a campaign event here on Wednesday, Trump said Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird had encouraged him to emphasize the importance of the margin of victory to supporters who may not feel the need to turn out to the caucuses given the former president’s comfortable lead in the polls.
“That margin of victory is so, so powerful,” Trump said while referring to a conversation he had with Bird, who has endorsed the former president. “Brenna was telling me before, she said, ‘Sir, you’ve got to say something about it, because you are leading by a lot. And sometimes when you’re leading by a lot, everyone says, ‘Oh, why should I go and vote?’”
Bird took the stage before Trump on Wednesday night, noting that the record margin of victory in a contested Iowa Republican caucus was 12 points. “We need to beat that. We need Donald Trump to set the record for the biggest win in Iowa history,” Bird said.
