Donald Trump, Fox News Hold 2024 Town Hall in Iowa

Donald Trump escalated his 2024 campaign rhetoric on Thursday during a pre-taped town hall event in Iowa, moderated by Fox News (Right bias) host Sean Hannity. 

What Trump Said: Trump criticized opponent Ron DeSantis's recent remark about two-term eligibility making a good candidate, saying "frankly, I wouldn’t vote for him because he said you need eight years. You need six months." When asked about President Joe Biden's fall at an event earlier in the day, Trump said it was "bad" before saying he asked Hannity not to joke about it. "I said, 'Honestly, I don’t think it looks good for you or for anybody to joke about it,'" Trump said. When asked about recent reports that he was recorded discussing a classified document taken from the White House, Trump said, "I don't know anything about it. All I know is this, everything I did was right." He questioned other Republicans in the field, saying that some were polling "less than zero."

For Context: Iowa's caucuses in early 2024 will kick off the Republican delegation selection process.

How the Media Covered It: Sources across the spectrum covered Trump's town hall, but not as prominently as debt ceiling stories and culture war topics. Many focused on his criticisms of Republican opponents, and the importance of strong Iowa campaigns.