As he juggles a high-stakes presidential campaign and an ongoing Senate impeachment trial against President Donald Trump, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ appearance at the Ames Auditorium was a game-time decision.

“Delighted” to make the trip from Washington D.C. to Iowa with nine days until Feb. 3 Iowa Caucus, Sanders told a capacity crowd at Ames City Auditorium Saturday night that he believes a win in Iowa can propel him to the presidency.

“I believe with your help, we have an excellent chance to win here in Iowa.” said Sanders. If we win here in Iowa, we have a very good chance to win in New Hampshire. I think we’re gonna win in Nevada. I think we’re gonna win in California. And I think we’re gonna win in a number of other states — and capture the Democratic nomination.”

In 2016, Sanders lost by one quarter of a percentage point to general election runner-up Hilary Clinton.

Four years later, the Vermont senator finds himself jostling for the support of Iowa Democrats, in a top-tier that includes. former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Sanders is polling around 20 percent nationally, which rivals front-runner Biden. A recent New York Times poll, released Saturday, shows Sanders winning 25 percent of the vote in Iowa, leading the field by seven percentage points.

But Sanders believes his campaign will drive a high number of voter turnouts, a key to winning beyond the Iowa Caucuses.

“On Caucus Night, if somebody tells you that the turnout is high, we win,” said Sanders. “If somebody tells you the turnout is pretty low, we lose.”

Sanders’ town hall on Saturday night drew roughly 1,200 people with supporters and caucus-goers sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in the auditorium’s main level and balcony with 400 or so spilling into the overflow location inside the Ames Gymnasium.

Taylor Werner, an Iowa State University student, who was huddled near a large speaker in the gymnasium said that Sanders is the only candidate that can defeat Trump in the November general election.

“Bernie is the only candidate who can beat Trump, and rewrite the rules of this country to work for all of us,” said Werner.

Sanders laid out two goals as he marches to the Caucus Day, to “defeat the most dangerous president in modern history,” and put together a grassroots movement that will “unashamedly” take on the fossil fuel industry, big pharmaceutical companies, the U.S. prison system and billionaires.

“We will defeat the most dangerous president in the modern history of this country,” said Sanders.”In our great country we should not have a president that is a pathological liar. We should not a have president who is running a corrupt administration.”

In between a cacophony of “Bernie” chants and waving placards behind him, the senator said he plans to raise the minimum wage, bridge the gender pay gap, and make trade unionization accessible for workers.

Sanders was not alone on Saturday, he was joined by freshman congresswoman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who represents New York’s 14th district, which includes the eastern portion of The Bronx and south-central Queens.

The first-term congresswoman who endorsed Sanders in October, told the Ames crowd, that she believes Sanders can usher in a new era of 21st Century policies.

“On Caucus Day, I want us to all bring our friends and our family, celebrate democracy and really usher in an era of 21st century social and economic and human rights,” she said.

Ocasio-Cortez touted the Green New Deal initiative, a proposal she co-wrote with Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey in March 2019, that includes broad framework for initiatives to limit climate change, like the need for a just transition cleaner energy.

She also balked against criticisms of policies such as the Green New Deal and socialist progressive politics, that are supported by Sanders, as “divisive.”

“These policies are about centering working people and centering the marginalized, instead of centering profits and centering the powerful,” said Ocasio-Cortez.

Sanders told those in attendance that he is against establishment forces, and that the establishment is looking at early-state and national polls and are saying, “Oh my god, Sanders can win.”

Jessica Reinhart, of Ankeny, said that she’s on the fence heading into Caucus Day, but Sanders is among her first options.

“He’s consistent, and we need a consistent president who wants to change the direction of this country,” she said. “I don’t know where my heart lies on Feb. 3, but why not Bernie Sanders?”