Trump to talk ethanol, boost candidates at Iowa rally

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is heading to Iowa to boost Republican candidates and roll out new summer fuel standards.

Trump’s rally in Council Bluffs is the latest stop on a busy tour campaigning for Republican candidates in the lead-up to November’s midterm congressional elections.

Trump is expected to announce a long-expected move lifting the federal ban on summer sales of gasoline with high-ethanol blends that will allow year-round sales.

The change is a boon for Iowa and other farm states that have pushed for greater sales of the corn-based fuel.

It’s also seen as a reward for Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, who led the contentious but successful fight to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman.