A word of warning: Getting around downtown Cedar Rapids will be an ordeal Tuesday afternoon.
Former President Donald Trump will be in Cedar Rapids to record a Fox News town hall at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse, at 370 First Ave. NE by the DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton. The town hall, with host Sean Hannity, will air during Hannity’s normal program time that night at 8 p.m. Iowa time. Tickets to attend are sold out.
Trump last month recorded a similar Fox News town hall in Clive. Because the event is a Fox News exclusive, other media outlets are not being permitted to cover the event.
Doors open at 1:45 p.m. and close promptly at 3:15 p.m. The hourlong town hall will start at 3:45 p.m.
Cedar Rapids city officials are expecting a high volume of traffic, beginning shortly after the lunch hour, and said getting in and out of downtown and finding parking will be difficult.
Park Cedar Rapids Operations Manager Tony Sorensen sent an email to businesses Monday morning advising that downtown parking spots will fill up quickly. Those include the Convention Center, Five Seasons, Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue parking garages and parking lots north of the convention center off Second Street NE, between A Avenue NE and B Avenue NE.
⧉ Related article: Trump says he’s been advised he’s target of U.S. investigation into efforts to overturn election
“We will be monitoring capacity at the above locations closely to ensure our monthly parkers have access to parking,” Sorensen wrote in the email.
Sorensen said it’s highly likely those leaving the area between noon and 3 p.m. will have difficulty finding parking when they return.
“We are recommending that, if possible, monthly parkers remain parked during the duration of the inflow of transient parkers,” Sorensen wrote. “This will allow for a more accurate count of monthly parkers which will help us secure the appropriate amount of parking needed to make sure all monthly parkers have access.”
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Cedar Rapids police will “have a presence” in the area Tuesday afternoon, but said the department would not disclose any plans regarding security for political or other events, including whether there would be road closures or detours.
The Cedar Rapids town hall comes after Trump chose to skip a gathering of some 2,000 Christian conservatives at last week’s evangelical Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines.
Trump, who has dominated national polling among the 2024 GOP presidential primary field, declined an offer to attend the prominent campaign event hosted annually by the The Family Leader, an influential organization in Iowa conservative politics led by Bob Vander Plaats, its president and chief executive officer. The summit featured one-on-one interviews by former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson with six candidates running for the Republican presidential nomination.
The Trump campaign offered to send Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance as a surrogate, but Vander Plaats declined, saying the organization does not permit surrogates to speak.
Vander Plaats has been increasingly critical of Trump in recent months, including last week after Trump claimed credit for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ election victory in 2018.
It's the most recent example of Trump shrugging off prominent multicandidate campaign events in the leadoff caucus state for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, opting instead for visits on his own schedule. Trump also skipped Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst’s 2024 “Roast and Ride” GOP fundraiser in June.
Trump, however, does plan to attend the July 28 Republican Party of Iowa's annual Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines. It’s the first time Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — Trump's top primary rival — will share the stage in Iowa.
www.thegazette.com
Former President Donald Trump will be in Cedar Rapids to record a Fox News town hall at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse, at 370 First Ave. NE by the DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton. The town hall, with host Sean Hannity, will air during Hannity’s normal program time that night at 8 p.m. Iowa time. Tickets to attend are sold out.
Trump last month recorded a similar Fox News town hall in Clive. Because the event is a Fox News exclusive, other media outlets are not being permitted to cover the event.
Doors open at 1:45 p.m. and close promptly at 3:15 p.m. The hourlong town hall will start at 3:45 p.m.
Cedar Rapids city officials are expecting a high volume of traffic, beginning shortly after the lunch hour, and said getting in and out of downtown and finding parking will be difficult.
Park Cedar Rapids Operations Manager Tony Sorensen sent an email to businesses Monday morning advising that downtown parking spots will fill up quickly. Those include the Convention Center, Five Seasons, Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue parking garages and parking lots north of the convention center off Second Street NE, between A Avenue NE and B Avenue NE.
⧉ Related article: Trump says he’s been advised he’s target of U.S. investigation into efforts to overturn election
“We will be monitoring capacity at the above locations closely to ensure our monthly parkers have access to parking,” Sorensen wrote in the email.
Sorensen said it’s highly likely those leaving the area between noon and 3 p.m. will have difficulty finding parking when they return.
“We are recommending that, if possible, monthly parkers remain parked during the duration of the inflow of transient parkers,” Sorensen wrote. “This will allow for a more accurate count of monthly parkers which will help us secure the appropriate amount of parking needed to make sure all monthly parkers have access.”
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Cedar Rapids police will “have a presence” in the area Tuesday afternoon, but said the department would not disclose any plans regarding security for political or other events, including whether there would be road closures or detours.
The Cedar Rapids town hall comes after Trump chose to skip a gathering of some 2,000 Christian conservatives at last week’s evangelical Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines.
Trump, who has dominated national polling among the 2024 GOP presidential primary field, declined an offer to attend the prominent campaign event hosted annually by the The Family Leader, an influential organization in Iowa conservative politics led by Bob Vander Plaats, its president and chief executive officer. The summit featured one-on-one interviews by former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson with six candidates running for the Republican presidential nomination.
The Trump campaign offered to send Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance as a surrogate, but Vander Plaats declined, saying the organization does not permit surrogates to speak.
Vander Plaats has been increasingly critical of Trump in recent months, including last week after Trump claimed credit for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ election victory in 2018.
It's the most recent example of Trump shrugging off prominent multicandidate campaign events in the leadoff caucus state for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, opting instead for visits on his own schedule. Trump also skipped Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst’s 2024 “Roast and Ride” GOP fundraiser in June.
Trump, however, does plan to attend the July 28 Republican Party of Iowa's annual Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines. It’s the first time Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — Trump's top primary rival — will share the stage in Iowa.
Trump headed to Cedar Rapids Tuesday for town hall
Former President Donald Trump will be in Cedar Rapids Tuesday to tape a Fox News town hall at Alliant Energy Power House.
www.thegazette.com
