Iowa caucuses: It might take more than a winter storm to knock Trump off course as Republicans choose their candidate for president
The main street in Des Moines, leading to the State Capitol building, is covered by a thick layer of snow, as icicles dangle from signs welcoming visitors to the home of the famous Iowa caucuses.
One woman is waiting for the bus and a man is shovelling snow from the pavement in front of his shop but it is, otherwise, a ghost town.
Months of campaigning lead to the Iowa caucuses, the state’s version of a primary election, which kicks off the race to the White House, where Republicans vote for their preferred candidate to be president.
But nobody could have prepared for this once-in-a-decade storm. On Monday evening, when caucusgoers cast their vote, it is forecast to feel like -40C with wind chill – cold so extreme it can cause frostbite in a matter of minutes.
Travelling on Iowa’s roads for a couple of hours, I saw at least a dozen lorries and cars that had crashed or skidded off the tarmac entirely.
The treacherous conditions will undoubtedly affect voter turnout, but it’s difficult to say for certain which of the candidates will be most impacted.
Many Donald Trump voters are elderly and live rurally so may have to travel further to the closest voting station, but his fan base also tends to be more fervent, which the former president hopes will be telling.
“You have the worst weather, I guess, in recorded history,” he said, “But maybe that’s good because our people are more committed than anybody else.”
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What happens at the Iowa caucus?
The Iowa State Capitol building
Regardless of the weather, if recent polls come to bear, it’s unlikely any of the other candidates will come close to beating Mr Trump.
A final poll from NBC puts Mr Trump’s voter share at 48%.
Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina who served as ambassador to the UN in Mr Trump’s administration, is his closest competition with 20% of the vote.
Donald Trump in Iowa for the caucuses
Nikki Haley, centre, is seen in Iowa ahead of the voting
The current Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, characterised by some as a Mr Trump tribute act, has 16% of the vote, according to the poll.
In Urbandale, a suburb of Des Moines, Jill Cameron, an evangelical Christian, is helping her husband clear snow from their neighbour’s driveway.
More than half of Iowa’s evangelical population support Mr Trump, and Mrs Cameron is proud to be among them.
“I’m really into pro-life and pro-country,” she says, “I think we need to shut our borders because we’re being invaded, and we’re losing lots of rights. Our country is a mess.”
Ron DeSantis is trailing Donald Trump and Nikki Haley
I ask how being such a committed Christian tallies with what Mr Trump has said in the past, about grabbing women by the genitals and, more recently, about immigrants “poisoning the blood” of America.
“Course, nobody likes to hear people speak so disrespectfully,” Mrs Cameron says. “But I also liked what he did and where our country was when he was in office.”
The momentum in the chasing pack is with Ms Haley, thanks to a strong performance in recent debates and a laser focus on foreign policy, including unwavering support for Ukraine and Israel.
A billboard by the Democratic National Committee criticises Trump’s record ahead of the Iowa vote
But many of the would-be Haley voters I speak to like her because they believe she presents a more moderate alternative to Mr Trump.
Polls show that if she was selected as the Republican nominee, she would likely prevail over President Biden in a general election, as things stand.
“I think she’s probably got the best chance of winning against Biden from what the polls say,” Tyler Sparks, who I also meet on a residential street in Urbandale, says. “Maybe we can kind of close the gap between both sides of the parties and actually make the country better, rather than just spinning our wheels, ploughing snow.”
Ms Haley has made some notable missteps on the campaign trail in the last few weeks, including mistaking the name of one of Iowa’s most celebrated basketball stars, not a sin easily forgiven here.
Even with the polls showing a commanding lead, Team Trump is managing expectations.
“Don’t go raising the bar,” Mr Trump’s long-standing advisor Jason Miller, tells me,
“I’m happy with the win. A win is a win and we’ll be comfortable with that.” Mr Miller knows a thumbs up in Iowa is disproportionately important.
If a candidate does well here, momentum can carry them to victory in other states.
The question is – whose supporters and how many of them – will brave the deep freeze to reach the ballot box.
A parade marking the US Army’s 250th anniversary – and President Trump’s 79th birthday – is under way.
You can watch the event in the livestream above.
President Trump said it was going to be a “big day” and admitted: “We want to show off a little bit.”
Today is the first time in more than 30 years that tanks have rolled through the US capital.
Officials have estimated around 200,000 people could turn out, including protesters, plus 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft.
However, it appears far fewer have turned out – possibly due to the poor weather – and the president has warned any protesters who interfere “will be met with very big force”.
Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Pic: Reuters
Mr Trump is watching alongside the first lady and defence secretary as troops and military hardware file past – accompanied at times by up tempo rock music.
The event started half an hour early due to forecasted heavy rain, with cloud forcing the cancellation of a flypast by fighter jets.
Helicopters such as Apaches, Chinooks and Black Hawks are still taking part however.
Pic: Reuters
Pic: Reuters
Pic: Reuters
Military parachutists from the Golden Knights began the parade by swooping in, and some of the soldiers are parading in historic uniforms, complete with horses and wagons.
Vehicles from the Second World War era are also taking part.
President Trump stood and saluted many of the passing soldiers. He is said to have got the idea for the parade after being impressed with France’s Bastille Day celebrations during a visit in 2017.
Metal plates have been put down on some of Washington’s streets to protect the tarmac against the heaviest tanks – the 60-ton M1 Abrams.
Even so, the US Army has set aside several million dollars in case of any damage.
The last time such a major display took place in the US was 1991 when tanks and troops paraded to celebrate the ousting of Saddam Hussein’s army from Kuwait.
Pic: Reuters
Pic: Reuters
Pic: Reuters
The event has been criticised by some for being something more associated with a dictatorial regime such as Russia or North Korea.
An estimated cost as high as $45m (£33.33m) has also raised eyebrows given the administration’s efforts to slash the budget of many federal departments.
Among the critics is California governor Gavin Newsom, who has been trading barbs with Mr Trump since the outbreak of riots in LA.
“And we all know, this Saturday, he’s ordering our American heroes – the United States military – forcing them to put on a vulgar display to celebrate his birthday, just as other failed dictators have done in the past,” he said.
Pic: AP
Pic: Reuters
Pic: Reuters
The show of military might also comes as more than 1,500 protests against the Trump administration, organised under the slogan ‘No Kings’, have been planned across the US on Saturday.
Los Angeles is the scene of one demonstration, with police firing tear gas to disperse people and US Marines stationed outside the city’s federal building.
Tension is high in America’s second-biggest city after recent raids by immigration officers sparked unrest this week.
Pic: Reuters
Tear gas was fired on the streets of LA. Pic: Reuters
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Les Miserables, what else.
The hit musical about anti-government protest is now showing at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
Donald Trump was in the audience for Wednesday’s performance for what amounts to a busman’s holiday.
The narrative explores issues of social justice, love, and the enduring power of human compassion amidst a backdrop of poverty and revolution. Not everyone shares the president’s vision of those themes.
Indeed his presence drew what can only be described as mixed reviews from his fellow theatre goers – cheers and boos in equal measure as he waved from the front row of the circle.
The script of Les Miserables barely presents a break from the day job – Trump won’t be the only one getting a sense of art imitating life, as the real thing plays out on the streets of LA.
It is the first show the president has chosen to attend since he made sweeping changes at the iconic venue, prompting an outcry and accusations that he was politicising art and ‘MAGAfying’ the venerated institution.
According to CNN, a number of Les Miserables cast members had planned to sit out the performance in protest.
The Kennedy Center is a prestigious venue that showcases the best of American performance art.
More than 2,000 shows per year include the famous honours ceremony, an annual event that celebrates artists who have made a significant contribution to US culture.
Honourees through the years have included Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin, the Grateful Dead and Francis Ford Coppola.
The Kennedy Center in Washington DC
Following his election in November, Trump made himself chairman of the Kennedy Center’s board and replaced members with political loyalists.
Traditionally, the board has been made up of individuals from across the political spectrum; after his election, Trump got rid of 18 members and replaced them with political soulmates, including his chief of staff Susie Wiles and Fox presenters Laura Ingraham and Maria Bartiromo.
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Donald Trump signalled a change in artistic direction at the Kennedy Center when he wrote on social media of “Drag shows specifically targeting our youth”, and said of its production schedule: “We didn’t like what they were showing, we’re going to make sure it’s good and it’s not going to be woke.”
His changes prompted a number of acts to cancel shows at the venue in protest. The touring production of Broadway hit Hamilton cancelled dates, as did actor and producer Issa Rae, writer Louise Penny and Pulitzer Prize-winning folk musician Rhiannon Giddens.
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Trump’s attendance at the Les Mis performance was designed to boost fundraising, with donors paying up to $2m to attend a reception with the president.
Ticket sales and subscriptions have, reportedly, slumped since Trump’s changes although the centre’s management points out its campaign to renew subscriptions has been launched later this year than last.
Trump watched the performance of Les Miserables from the presidential box, in the company of his wife, Melania.
Vice president JD Vance was also there. When he attended a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra in March with his wife, he was booed by members of the audience.
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