Washington, DC [US], January 28 : US President Donald Trump is travelling to Iowa as part of the White House's midterm-year push centred on affordability, even as his administration faces mounting backlash in Minneapolis following a second fatal shooting involving federal immigration officers this month.
During the visit on Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to stop at a local business before delivering a speech focused on affordability, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. The address will be held at the Horizon Events Center in Clive, a suburb of Des Moines.
The Iowa stop also highlights the administration's energy policy priorities.
It also forms part of a broader strategy to have Trump travel outside Washington once a week ahead of the midterm elections, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said earlier.
The outreach aims to spotlight the affordability challenges faced by everyday Americans, although the effort has repeatedly been disrupted by unfolding crises.
The latest disruption stems from the weekend killing of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse who died after being shot by federal agents in Minnesota.
Pretti had earlier participated in protests following the January 7 killing of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
While some senior officials moved quickly to criticise Pretti, the White House said on Monday that Trump would wait for the investigation into the shooting to conclude.
Trump last visited Iowa ahead of the July 4 holiday to mark the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.
That trip later evolved into a celebration of his major spending and tax cut package shortly after Congress approved it.
Republicans are now hoping his return to the state draws attention back to that tax bill as they seek to retain power in November.
"I invited President Trump back to Iowa to highlight the real progress we've made: delivering tax relief for working families, securing the border, and growing our economy," Rep. Zach Nunn said ahead of the trip.
"Now we've got to keep that momentum going and pass my affordable housing bill, deliver for Iowa's energy producers, and bring down costs for working families."
The Iowa visit follows similar affordability-focused stops in Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, as the White House attempts to leverage Trump's political influence in key battleground areas.
However, Trump has at times diverted attention from cost-of-living issues.
During a stop in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, he claimed inflation was no longer a problem and accused Democrats of using affordability as a "hoax" against him.
At the same event, he complained that migrants arriving in the US from "filthy" countries were receiving more attention than his pledges to curb inflation.
Although Iowa has leaned strongly Republican in recent elections, two of its four congressional districts remain highly competitive heading into this year's midterms.
Trump has already endorsed Republican representatives Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, while Democrats are seeking to regain ground in the state.
Democrats are also pinning hopes on Rob Sand, the only Democrat currently holding statewide office in Iowa, who is running for governor. Party leaders have cited his appeal among moderate and conservative voters, along with his campaign war chest of USD 13 million.