CLIVE, Iowa—President Donald Trump told a boisterous crowd gathered in a suburb of Des Moines on Jan. 27 that his administration's policies are making America affordable again by lowering the prices of goods while boosting pay and reducing taxes.
“With the help of the incredible people of Iowa, we're repairing four long years of disaster and decline, and we're beginning what will be known as the greatest years in the history of our country,” Trump said during his speech.
The president pointed to Iowa's economic growth, which ranks higher than national trends, driven by agricultural and manufacturing operations.
He highlighted a 46 percent drop in gas prices in Iowa, as compared with peak highs under President Joe Biden’s leadership. Prices are hovering around $2.56 per gallon statewide, with multiple stations in the Des Moines area displaying prices below $2 a gallon.
With tax season beginning, White House officials released a statement shortly before Trump spoke stating that Iowans will save more than $3,000 per family, on average, after taxes were cut with the signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year.
The administration anticipates wages growing by more than $6,000 per worker in the coming years, while estimating that about 66,000 jobs in Iowa were protected by the spending bill legislation.
Trump told the crowd that his plan to improve rural health care includes $209 million for communities in Iowa.
Lowering the barrier of entry for home buyers is a priority moving forward, he said, as officials work to limit corporate purchases of single family homes. Home prices in Iowa fell by about 3.5 percent compared to the prior year, according to the White House.
The statement highlights more than $5.3 billion in mortgages written through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two government-sponsored entities that provide liquidity to mortgage lenders, which helped 22,000 Iowans buy or stay in their home last year.
Trump was last in the Hawkeye State in July of last year to kick off America 250 celebrations, honoring the country's semiquincentennial anniversary in 2026.
Voters in Iowa helped propel the president to victory in 2016 and again in 2024.
"It was the people of Iowa who put us on a rocket ship back to the White House," Trump said, while encouraging the crowd to keep the momentum going as the midterm elections approach.
"If we lose the midterms, you'll lose so many of the things that we're talking about, so many of the assets that we're talking about, so many of the tax cuts that we're talking about."
Hundreds of audience members filled the auditorium, with a standing room-only crowd cheering and applauding Trump over the course of his approximately 90-minute speech.
He thanked the audience, which included groups of farmers and blue collar workers from across the state, for their support.
One supporter said Iowans and other Americans are benefiting from Trump’s economic and national security policies.
“The dollar is going farther, and the stock market is booming,” 27-year-old Iowan Gannon Gremmel told The Epoch Times. "The economy in Iowa is stronger than ever."
Some in the audience came with other plans in mind. Two protesters were quickly detained after they attempted to disrupt the president's speech.
Trump dismissed the interruptions as coming from "paid agitators."
Dozens of protesters gathered on the corner of the intersection of NW 110th Avenue and Samson Street, near the auditorium where Trump spoke.
Some carried signs demanding justice for Alex Pretti and Renee Good—two American citizens killed by federal agents in Minneapolis in recent weeks during immigration enforcement operations. Federal officials have said the agents acted in self-defense.
Others waved Mexican flags and yelled chants against Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Administration officials are navigating heightened tensions following weeks of intermittent protests, some of which have turned destructive, as protesters targeted federal agents in Minneapolis and other cities.