Snow Joke: Iowa Blizzard Cancels Events Just Days Before Caucuses

DES MOINES, Iowa — Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley and Donald Trump all canceled campaign events Friday amid an Iowa blizzard that’s expected to dump a foot of snow on some areas of the state just three days before Republicans caucus for their preferred presidential nominees.

Haley canceled her midday events and is replacing them with tele-town halls — or conference calls with prospective voters. DeSantis held one event outside Des Moines on Friday morning, but the allied super PAC running most of his Iowa operations “postponed” two stops originally scheduled for later in the day. And Trump’s campaign axed a Friday night event with surrogate Kari Lake over concerns about the treacherous weather, which has caused impassable roads, whiteout conditions and gusty winds.

“We’re in uncharted territory right now,” said David Kochel, a GOP strategist who was at an event this morning with DeSantis and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds that still managed to draw 100 people, despite a blizzard warning from the National Weather Service and pleas from the Iowa Department of Transportation to stay off the roads.

“Iowans are a hale and hearty bunch,” Kochel said.

DeSantis and Haley stand to lose the most from terrible weather that prevents them from getting in front of voters at a critical time. The two are competing for a strong second-place finish that could vault them into better contention in New Hampshire and South Carolina, with a new poll showing Haley surging ahead of DeSantis.

“I definitely know I’m not in South Carolina anymore,” Haley said during a tele-town hall with Fort Dodge, Iowa, voters, during which she delivered her stump speech and answered questions from voters. “I know that on Jan. 15 it’s going to be negative 19 [degrees]. I