Trump turns his attention to Iowa as the caucuses approach

Former President Donald J. Trump will return to Iowa for the first time this year on Friday and will hold four campaign rallies in two days as he looks to strengthen his dominant lead in the polls as the Iowa caucuses approach.

Trump has rarely visited the state, at least compared to his rivals in the Republican primaries. His schedule this weekend consists of an unusually concentrated burst of campaigning for him, more akin to the way other candidates have stormed the state.

But the former president has remained popular in Iowa. His events consistently draw hundreds, if not thousands, of supporters, dwarfing attendance at more traditional voter meet-and-greets and town halls. In speeches over the past month, he and his allies have urged his supporters to rally and asked them to ensure their friends and neighbors will help deliver Mr. Trump a strong victory on the night of the caucus.

Even as Trump turns his attention to Iowa, he continues to campaign as if he is already the Republican nominee. His speeches have focused heavily on how he expects to defeat President Biden outright in November, directing only a few short attacks on his two, relatively speaking, rivals in the race, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida and Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina.

On Friday, the Trump campaign published a new television advertising criticizing Mr. Biden for his handling of the economy. Mr. Trump has increasingly made such attacks central to his speech, asking his supporters if they were better off under his leadership.