IOWA CAUCUSES

Trump conducts his own poll in Clinton

Brianne Pfannenstiel
bpfannenst@dmreg.com

CLINTON, Ia. — Republican businessman Donald Trump, who regularly touts his place in the polls and who has called himself a “poll maven,” decided to conduct a poll of his own Saturday in Clinton, Ia.

“A poll came out and said Wall Street’s a bigger problem than Canada,” Trump said, referencing two lines of attack he’s used against his rival, Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

Trump has criticized Cruz, who is widely considered to be Trump’s biggest threat in Monday’s Iowa caucuses, for his Canadian birth, saying it’s unclear whether Cruz is legally allowed to be president. Trump has also criticized him for failing to disclose large loans from Wall Street banks on his financial disclosure forms.

Donald Trump points at a supporter while onstage at a rally in Davenport Iowa during a campaign rally hosted by Jerry Falwell Jr., left.

“I would have said Canada is a bigger problem, personally,” Trump told the crowd.

He decided to ask them what they thought, requesting attendees applaud for one or the other.

“Which do you think is a bigger problem? Wall Street?” Trump asked, to applause. “Or Canada?”

Canada won out with significantly more cheers from the crowd of about 1,000.

360-degree video from Davenport rally: 

A Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics Iowa Poll released about an hour after Trump finished speaking, though, found the opposite.

In that poll of likely Republican caucusgoers, 22 percent said it bothers them that Cruz previously held dual citizenship with Canada, while 54 percent said Cruz’s bank loans bother them.

Trump referenced the Register’s poll release, which has been widely anticipated among the political community as the hours to caucus night dwindle, saying the results are meaningless.

“They don’t even matter anymore to be honest,” Trump said. “Because we’re so close to the end, what difference does it make?”

The poll found Trump had surpassed Cruz with 28 percent support compared to Cruz’s 23 percent. Previously, The Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics Iowa Poll conducted in early January had Cruz with a three-point lead over Trump.

In Clinton, Trump also touted his plans to grow the military, strike tougher foreign trade deals and to build a wall along the nation’s southern border. He also urged Iowans to get out and caucus.

“The bigger we can win by, the bigger the mandate, the more we can do,” he said. “And I promise you, you will be so proud and you will be so happy that you went out and you did it.”

Trump arrived in Clinton after making an earlier stop in Dubuque, and he left immediately for a town hall in Davenport. On Sunday, he’ll travel to the state’s western border for events in Sioux City and Council Bluffs.

AT THE EVENT

SETTING: The gymnasium at Clinton Middle School and Adler Theatre in Davenport.

CROWD: About 1,000 people in Clinton and 2,400 in Davenport.

REACTION: The crowd laughed and cheered for Trump in Clinton. When he asked them who would pay for the wall he proposes building, the crowd yelled back, “Mexico,” before applauding and cheering. The rally in Davenport was more sedate and featured a question-and-answer session between Trump and a prominent endorser, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. Perhaps the biggest cheer came when Trump presented a check to a veterans group.

WHAT’S NEXT: Trump will be in Iowa on Sunday through Monday. Check DesMoinesRegister.com/candidatetrackerfor more details.

Adler Theatre, downtown Davenport

Crowd: Supporters filled the historic 2,400-seat theater for a more sedate rally that  featured a question-and-answer session between Trump and a prominent endorser, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. Perhaps the biggest cheer came when Trump presented a check to a veterans group.