DES MOINES, Iowa — Thousands of Trump supporters and critics gathered Thursday ahead of the president’s speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. 

Supporters lined up early in the morning waiting for the parking lot to open and then spent the day battling the heat. But they said they don’t mind; they were just excited to start their 4th of July weekend seeing President Trump in person. 

“My son Keenan here, he’s special needs. It was his birthday yesterday, and he wanted to go nowhere else but to see his hero, President Trump. So that’s why we’re here. Because he would have it no other way,” supporter Steve Lagoon said.

“Well, since he’s a personal friend of mine, we invited him to come to Iowa. Just kidding. But I think he chose Iowa because it’s such a strong Republican state and there’s so many strong people that are the first to support him in whatever he chooses,” supporter Tom Hanson said. “We’re always backing him. So I think he’s just responding to what we’ve expected of him. And in turn, he’s giving us this opportunity to see him in person.”

“I think Trump has transformed politics not only in Iowa, but Minnesota and across the country because he’s a president that is fighting for the little people,” Lagoon said.

“This is wonderful. I’m glad he’s doing it in the heart of the country, Des Moines, Iowa, which is so great. Everybody knows and has heard the fact that it’s build it and they will come,” supporter Dane Senser said.

Meanwhile around Des Moines, there were several gatherings opposing Trump and the “Big Beautiful Bill”, like The People’s Agenda meetup. They met at Cowles Commons in downtown Des Moines where several organizations say they want to hold elected officials accountable, including President Trump.

“This is literally just a robin hood in reverse sort of bill. We’re taking from the poor and giving to the rich,” President of Iowa Federation of Labor AFL-CIO Charlie Wishman said.

“If this is Trump’s signature legislative agenda and it fails farmers in rural Iowa so significantly, I would say no, he is, he is not championing a future that is bright for rural Iowa,” Matt Russell, Interim Executive Director of Iowa Farmers Union, said.

“You cannot tell me that you care about human life and then sit here and let people die and say, oh, people are going to die anyway,” Rep. Rob Johnson said in the press conference. “Most of us, if not all of us in this crowd today are one life event from needing help ourselves. So how dare you sit up here and try to take something away from our people?”

“With this bill, the president, who cares more about the wealthy than the least of these, and our elected officials, who cater to his every desire, are strengthening his power and privilege as we come ever closer to an authoritarian theocracy,” Connie Ryan with Interfaith Alliance Iowa said.

Back at the fairgrounds, protesters showed up around 4 p.m. with signs on University Ave. 

President Trump was scheduled to speak at 7:30 p.m.

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