Trump-backed candidate in Iowa loses primary

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Trump-backed candidate in Iowa loses primary2 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleAnthony ZurcherNorth America correspondentGetty ImagesRandy Feenstra was seen by many as a frontrunner, and was a reliable Trump supporterA candidate hoping to run for governor in the US state of Iowa has lost a closely watched primary contest, despite getting the backing of Donald Trump. Randy Feenstra, who was seen by many as a frontrunner, conceded the race on Tuesday, having received a last-minute presidential endorsement ahead of the vote. The three-term Iowa congressman, who was running for his party's nomination for November's governor contest, had also been a reliable Trump supporter.

But for his part, the winner, farmer and businessman Zach Lahn, campaigned on a decidedly Trumpian platform – with slogans like "Make Iowa Healthy Again" and "Iowa first". He campaigned on limiting foreign and out-of-state ownership of Iowa land and railed against "global elites". Lahn also had the backing of Turning Point USA, the conservative group founded by the late Charlie Kirk, and grassroots conservatives in the state who viewed Feenstra as too much a part of the Washington establishment.

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Trump has been out of the public eye the past six days, other than prerecorded interviews with friendly media and his postings on Truth Social, which included an assertion that negotiations with Iran over the war "have been going on continuously". While the talks may be ongoing, they don't seem to be making much progress. It's been a rough week for Trump domestically as well - his administration has abandoned plans to create a $1.

3bn) "anti-weaponisation" fund. The fund had been designed to compensate individuals who claimed to be targets of political investigation by previous presidential administrations. And Tuesday night marked a hit to his golden track record of political endorsements.

Over the past few weeks, it has appeared like a Trump endorsement was a guaranteed ticket to success. Congressman Thomas Massie in Kentucky and Senator Bill Cassidy were both unseated by Trump-backed challengers. And Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won his state's Republican Senate nomination contest over incumbent John Cornyn - although it appeared increasingly likely that Paxton was going to defeat his opponent with without Trump's help.

The end of Trump's 'weaponisation' fund is another sign Republicans are fighting backLos Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advances to run-off in race to run California's biggest cityMAGA candidate's win in Texas primary may also help Democrats in Senate battleAs for the Feenstra result - that may prove to be a case of the president's political instincts being off in a state that, while voting for him in three straight elections, appears to be a souring a bit. Trump's wide-ranging programme of trade tariffs – and the Chinese response to them – have hit Iowa's farmers hard.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.