Trump urges Iowans to vote even if they are ‘as sick as a dog’ and die afterward

Donald Trump urged voters to get out to the Iowa caucuses even if they are “sick as a dog” in a defiant rally on the eve of his first major election test.

The former president said that even if people “passed away” shortly after voting it would be “worth it”, and once again launched attacks on the New York judge who had denied him a delay in his civil trial so that he could attend his mother-in-law’s funeral.

His remarks came during an in-person rally in Indianola on Sunday afternoon. Mr Trump was previously forced to swap out other planned events in Iowa with tele-rallies due to severe bad weather conditions in the state.

“You can’t stay at home,” he told those gathered. “[Even} if you’re sick as a dog and you say ‘darling I can’t make it…’

“Even if you vote and then pass away it’s worth it.”

Elsewhere Mr Trump appeared to get his words muddled as he told people to “pray for God” and later described judge Kaplan as “the worst judge in the country”.

The former president said that even if people ‘passed away’ shortly after voting it would be ‘worth it’

Echoing his previous remarks and posts on his social media platform Truth Social, he said: “My wife’s mother, who was an incredible woman of great beauty inside and out… she just died.

“And my wife is very devastated by that. And I have a trial going on a fake trial, a totally fake trial. And we asked the judge if I could take a day off for the funeral of my mother in law, who is very close to me also. And he said, ‘No’.”

He continued: “These are animals. Can you imagine that?.. He said no, we can’t have a day off. These are bad people. These are radical left lunatics and when I hurt me, because they think it’s gonna hurt me at the poll so that by me can win an election.

“