Former U.S. President Donald Trump journeyed to Iowa on Monday just days after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited the key early voting state and leaned into some of the culture-war battles that have propelled the political fortunes of his potential presidential rival.
Speaking to a crowd in a theater in Davenport, Iowa, Trump pledged to prohibit the teaching of so-called critical race theory in public schools, keep transgender athletes from competing in girls' sports and "bring back parental rights into our schools," all issues that have animated the Republican base in the years since Trump left the White House.
Trump, who is seeking to regain the presidency in 2024, spoke for more than an hour before raising those topics, despite the fact that the speech had been billed as one focused on education policy.