Trump mocks Biden, DeSantis, Haley and Jimmy Carter in front of cheering Iowa crowd

FORT DODGE, Iowa — Former President Donald Trump returned to Iowa Saturday, continuing to tout his administration's international agenda and assert himself as the state's inevitable winner with Caucus Day less than two months away.

Trump, who remains the faraway frontrunner in the Republican primary race, focused the bulk of his speech on President Joe Biden — calling him a "stupid person," "incompetent" and incapable of representing the U.S. on the world stage amid international crises.

"This is not a man who should be running the country," Trump said.

He also said former President Jimmy Carter — whose wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, entered hospice care Friday — is "the happiest person anywhere in this country right now … because his administration looked brilliant compared to these clowns."

The crowd laughed, then broke into cheers and applause.

The former president's most prominent challengers, both of whom have been campaigning in Iowa in recent days, were not spared from his attacks. Trump continued to attack Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on ethanol, mocking his struggle to gain momentum in the race.

"He's going 'whoosh,' down the tubes," Trump said, motioning downwards.

He did not mention Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who recently endorsed DeSantis and has been the target of Trump's wrath for being ungrateful after he claimed responsibility for her electoral victory in the governor's race.

More: Kim Reynolds helps Ron DeSantis open new headquarters, says Trump not earning Iowans' votes

But he invoked a similar sentiment in Fort Dodge about Iowa's two senators.

"I got a lot of people elected here," Trump said. "Including (U.S. Sen. Chuck) Grassley, who was having a problem, and (U.S. Sen. Joni) Ernst, who had a really big problem. … I got 'em elected, remember that."

Grassley won his eighth Senate term in 2022 with 56% of the vote; Ernst won a second term with 52% of the vote in 2020.

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The former president also briefly attacked former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, calling her "Birdbrain" and saying she, like DeSantis, was disloyal for running against him.

"I know her well, she's not up to the job," he said.

Trump suggested that with a large margin of victory in Iowa, his challengers would concede and the party could turn their attention and resources to the general election.

"We have to send a great signal, and maybe these people end it, say 'it's over now,'" he said. "Because we have to focus on Crooked Joe Biden."

As wars rage abroad, Trump touts his foreign agenda while denigrating Biden

In visits to Iowa since the Israel-Hamas war began in early October, Trump has increasingly focused on his past and future approach to international relations, recalling past conversations with world leaders while dismissing Biden as incompetent.

Saturday was no different, as he called for supporters to return him to the White House and again grant him a seat at the world table in the midst of multiple conflicts abroad.

"The next war's going to be a nuclear war, and that's going to be obliteration, and we have a leader who can't put two sentences together negotiating for us," Trump said.

He once again declared that only he would be able to stop "World War III," and promised he would bring a swift end to the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war. Exactly how, he hasn't explained.

Iowa caucuses: Donald Trump says 'I'm the only one that will prevent World War III'

Supporters who spoke to the Des Moines Register on Saturday said foreign policy remained front of mind as they followed the election.

Julie McCue, 55, of Fort Dodge said "we need somebody in government that's going to take control of things right now," praising the Trump administration's tariffs and trade policy.

And Rhonda Hoover, a 72-year-old Otho resident, said she liked how Trump represented the U.S. on the international stage.

"Russia and China didn't rear their ugly heads when Trump was in," Hoover said.

Trump's GOP rivals criticize him in Iowa ahead of his Saturday visit

Trump's Saturday visit, his first to Iowa since Oct. 29 in Sioux City, comes on the heels of a Friday evangelical forum held by The Family Leader and attended by DeSantis, Haley and Ramaswamy. Like the organization's forum earlier this year, the former president declined to attend.

"They expect him to do the debate, they expect him to show up," Reynolds told reporters outside of DeSantis' newly-opened Urbandale office on Saturday morning. "They expect him to earn their vote, and he's just not doing it."

Iowa caucuses: Kim Reynolds helps Ron DeSantis open new headquarters, says Trump not earning Iowans' votes

DeSantis referenced previous comments by Trump that characterized a six-week abortion ban like Iowa's as "a terrible thing," and criticized the frontrunner's Iowa campaign strategy as he continues on a swing through the state this weekend.

"I think it's been a mistake how he's not been willing to engage with Iowans outside of swooping in and doing a speech, and then just leaving," DeSantis said. "I think you've got to get on the ground and you've got to shake the hands. You've got to answer their questions. That's what we've done."

Haley on Friday said she disagreed with Trump's use of the word "vermin" to describe his political opponents during a Veterans Day speech and used the word "chaos" to describe Trump.

"The reality is I don’t agree with that statement any more than I agree when he said Hezbollah was smart or any more than I agree when he hit Netanyahu when his country was on its knees after all that brutality," Haley said. "It’s the chaos of it all, right."

Katie Akin and Stephen Gruber-Miller contributed reporting.

Galen Bacharier covers politics for the Register. Reach him at gbacharier@registermedia.com or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Donald Trump in Fort Dodge calls on supporters to deliver caucus win