Trump prays with supporter during campaign stop in Iowa

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, January 29, 2026

President Donald Trump prayed with a supporter during a trip to Iowa on Tuesday as he sought to tout his administration’s record ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.  

Trump visited the Machine Shed Restaurant in Urbandale, Iowa, ahead of a speech he gave later in the day on the economy. While interacting with supporters at the restaurant, a man seated in a booth asked the president, “Can I pray for you real quick?”

“Absolutely. Come on,” Trump responded. The president put his hand on the man’s shoulder as he declared, “Lord God, we give you thanks for this president.”

“We pray for continued wisdom, we pray for discernment, we pray for hope, we pray for more peace,” he added. The man also prayed for “protection against the world,” “the devils” and “the flesh.” 

After the prayer concluded, Trump acknowledged the presence of “great people in Iowa.”

Following his visit to the Machine Shed Restaurant, Trump delivered a speech in nearby Clive, Iowa, defending his administration’s record on the economy and affordability ahead of the 2026 midterm elections that will determine which party controls the U.S. Congress during the final two years of his presidency.

All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 seats in the U.S. Senate are up for grabs in the midterms. 

Republicans currently control both chambers, but Democrats taking control of one or both houses of Congress will deal a blow to Trump’s efforts to get his preferred agenda passed and makes a third impeachment of the president significantly more likely.

Democrats are seen as significantly more likely to take control of the U.S. House than the U.S. Senate. 

Trump’s appearance in the Hawkeye State comes just over two years after his victory in the 2024 Iowa caucuses helped him to secure the Republican nomination for president.

Iowa is home to a U.S. Senate election in 2026, a gubernatorial election, several other statewide offices, state legislative elections and four U.S. House of Representatives elections. The U.S. Senate seat on the ballot this year and the gubernatorial race are open contests as incumbent Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Gov. Kim Reynolds opted not to seek re-election. 

Since Iowa voted for Trump by 13 points in the 2024 presidential election, Republicans are expected to win most of the statewide races. However, one or more of the U.S. House of Representatives elections, all four of which are currently held by Republicans, could be competitive in a favorable environment for Democrats. 

Iowa is one of three states that backed Trump in all three presidential elections in which he was the Republican nominee, after supporting former President Barack Obama in both of his presidential bids. The other states that supported Obama twice and Trump three times are Ohio and Florida.