'Stakes high' for Trump as he heads to Iowa under a legal cloud

On the same day that former Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen is slated to testify before a Manhattan grand jury about the ex-president reportedly paying an adult film star hush money after an alleged affair, Trump will be jetting off to Iowa to boost his chances of winning a third Republican Party presidential nomination.

According to a report from the Associated Press, the stakes could not be higher for Trump who can't risk losing the state where he was defeated in the 2016 primary due to a disorganized state campaign apparatus.

With Trump expected to give a speech on education and his accomplishments during his four years in office, he will also be followed by the shadow of possible indictments in Manhattan, Georgia, and Washington D.C. where he is being investigated by special counsel Jack Smith.

As the report notes, "Early polls show Trump remains widely popular among Iowa Republicans, though views of the former president have slipped somewhat since he left the White House."

It adds: "Meanwhile, legal scrutiny surrounding Trump is also intensifying with potential indictments in the coming weeks that would make him the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges."

The AP's Thomas Beaumont adds, "The dynamics make the stakes particularly high for Trump in Iowa. As a former president who boasts of his standing atop the GOP, he can’t afford even a narrow loss in the contest that kicks off the nomination process."

Local GOP activists are urging Trump "to hold smaller events, including with influential local Republican leaders" in order to get their backing just one day after chief rival Gov. Ron DeSantis (FL) visited the state.

You can read the full report here.