President Donald Trump visited Iowa on Tuesday to campaign on his administration’s economic record, touting tax cuts and stock market gains as part of a White House push to focus on affordability ahead of November’s midterm elections. The trip to Clive, a suburb of Des Moines, marks the beginning of a strategy to have Trump travel outside Washington once weekly through the midterms, which will determine control of Congress.
Trump’s affordability message was repeatedly interrupted by questions about the weekend shooting death of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse killed by federal agents in Minneapolis—a crisis that has diverted attention from the economic messaging the White House hopes will dominate the midterm narrative.
Trump touted his tax cuts and stock market performance Tuesday in Clive, a suburb of Des Moines, as part of the White House’s push to focus on affordability in the lead-up to midterm elections. “They come up with this word ‘affordability,’” Trump said, before claiming the term had become less prominent as prices declined. “First time you heard about it was like a few months ago. You’re not hearing it so much anymore. You know why? Because the prices are coming down so much.”
The president took credit for the stock market’s performance, saying he “made a lot of people rich,” including supporters and opponents alike. Trump also highlighted wide-ranging tariffs imposed on U.S. trading partners and deals struck with pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug costs as centerpieces of the administration’s economic record.
To amplify this message, the White House plans to send Trump outside Washington once weekly through November as Republicans seek to hold control of Congress in the midterm elections.
The Pretti Question
The affordability pitch faced an immediate challenge from questions about the weekend killing of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse shot by federal agents in Minneapolis. Pretti had participated in protests following an earlier killing by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
On the weekend of the shooting, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller had characterized Pretti on social media as an “assassin” who “tried to murder federal agents.” Vice President JD Vance shared the post. When asked whether he agreed with the characterization, Trump distanced himself.
“No,” Trump said when asked if he believed Pretti was an assassin. Trump called the death “a very sad situation” and said a “big investigation” was underway. “I’m going to be watching over it, and I want a very honorable and honest investigation. I have to see it myself,” he said.
At a restaurant in Clive, Trump departed from his typical Second Amendment rhetoric, saying Pretti “certainly shouldn’t have been carrying a gun.” He continued: “I don’t like that he had a gun. I don’t like that he had two fully loaded magazines. That’s a lot of bad stuff.”
Trump said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was quick to cast Pretti as a violent instigator, would not resign from her position.
Iowa’s Midterm Stakes
Iowa offers a test case for Trump’s economic messaging ahead of critical midterm contests. The state voted for him by 13 percentage points in 2024, but two of its four congressional districts rank among the most competitive in the country. Trump has already endorsed Republican Reps. Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who face challenging reelection campaigns.
Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart criticized Trump’s affordability message, saying his tariff policies have harmed the state’s farmers and raised prices for consumers. “It’s laughable that Trump is coming here today to talk about affordability of all things when Iowans are literally paying more because of his disastrous policies,” Hart said.
Divided on Affordability
Among Trump supporters at the event, sentiment was mixed. Jerry Greif, a 68-year-old from Vinton who attended the rally, expressed sympathy for federal immigration officers involved in the Minnesota shooting. “You can’t interfere with these people when they’re trying to enforce the law,” Greif said. He added that while prices could continue falling, he sees the overall economy as “definitely improving” compared to the Biden administration.
Trump has made similar affordability pitches in swing states over the past year. In Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, he insisted inflation was solved and called Democrats’ use of the term affordability a “hoax,” before pivoting to complaints about immigration. This pattern—departing from prepared economic remarks to address other issues—has consistently diverted attention from the affordability message the White House plans to center in the midterm campaign.