Trump notches a commanding win in the Iowa caucuses
Updated: 12:09 AM CST Jan 16, 2024
WE ARE JUST, UH, NOW WATCHING DONALD TRUMP COME OUT. YOU CAN HEAR THE MUSIC BEHIND HIM THERE. AND HE’S GOT A PRETTY GOOD SIZED CROWD HERE. THERE ARE HIS TWO SONS, DONALD JR AND ERIC NEXT TO HIM. UH, THEY HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN BEING SURROGATES HERE IN CENTRAL IOWA OVER THE LAST DAY OR TWO, UH, GOING OUT TO CAUCUS SITES, GOING OUT TO CAMPAIGN FOR THEIR FATHERS. SO THIS IS, UH, THE FIRST TIME WE’VE SEEN DONALD TRUMP TODAY. UM, OTHER THAN BEING AT A CAUCUS SITE TONIGHT. SO HE HAS NOT HAD ANY BIG RALLIES. UH, THERE’S A GOVERNOR BURGUM. UH, HE ALSO HAS ENDORSED DONALD TRUMP. HE WAS AT AN EVENT YESTERDAY IN INDIANOLA. SO THERE YOU CAN SEE MORE FAMILY MEMBERS, MORE SUPPORTERS. UM, THERE’S BRENNA BIRD SHE ALSO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IOWA, UH, WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO ENDORSE, UH, FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP HERE. AND NOW SHE IS, UM, RIGHT THERE ON STAGE. SHE’S IN THE RED JACKET THERE WITH THE BROWN HAIR. THERE. SO ANY MOMENT NOW, WHEN THIS SONG ENDS, I BELIEVE HE’LL SPEAK TO THE CROWD, CELEBRATE HIS VICTORY, AND PERHAPS TALK ABOUT WHAT COMES NEXT. AND AMERICAN FAMILIES. CAIRO. I BREMER. AND I HOPE YOU GET THE MEN WHO DIED WHO GAVE THAT RIGHT TO ME. AND I LOVE THIS DAY AND THE NEXT TO YOU. AND IT DENVER FOOTE HERE TODAY. COTTER AIN’T NO DOUBT I LOVE THIS MAN. AND I GUESS CLIVE YOU WILL PAY. ME? CRESCO RUN RUN RUN. COSTER. WELL, I WANT TO THANK. WELL, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY THIS HAS BEEN SOME PERIOD OF TIME AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE WANT TO THANK THE GREAT PEOPLE OF IOWA. THANK YOU. WE LOVE YOU ALL. WHAT A TURNOUT. WHAT A CROWD. AND I REALLY THINK THIS IS TIME NOW FOR EVERYBODY JODI OUR COUNTRY TO COME TOGETHER. WE WANT TO COME TOGETHER. UH, WHETHER IT’S REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT OR LIBERAL OR CONSERVATIVE. IT WOULD BE SO NICE IF WE COULD COME TOGETHER AND STRAIGHTEN OUT THE WORLD AND STRAIGHTEN OUT THE PROBLEMS AND STRAIGHTEN OUT ALL OF THE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION THAT WE’RE WITNESSING. THAT’S PRACTICALLY NEVER BEEN LIKE THIS. IT’S JUST SO IMPORTANT. AND I WANT TO MAKE THAT A VERY BIG PART OF OUR MESSAGE. WE’RE GOING TO COME TOGETHER. IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN SOON TO. CAN I HAPPEN SOON. I WANT TO THANK SOME OF THE GREAT PEOPLE. WE HAVE SO MANY SENATORS. IF I GO THROUGH EVERY NAME, WE’LL BE HERE ALL NIGHT AND EVERYBODY’S GOING TO GET ANGRY AT ME. BUT THE SENATORS, THE CONGRESSMEN FROM WASHINGTON, THEY CAME DOWN FROM ALL DIFFERENT STATES. I WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE RON AND NIKKI FOR HAVING A GOOD A GOOD TIME TOGETHER. WE’RE ALL HAVING A GOOD TIME TOGETHER AND AND I THINK THEY BOTH ACTUALLY DID VERY WELL, I REALLY DO. I THINK THEY BOTH DID VERY WELL. WE DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE OUTCOME OF SECOND PLACE IS. AND I SEE KARI LAKE. CONGRATS, KARI. VERY GOOD, I SPOTTED HER. I HAVE TO ANNOUNCE BECAUSE SHE’S TERRIFIC, SHE’S GOING TO BE A SENATOR FOR A GREAT SENATOR, I PREDICT. RIGHT? YOU’RE GOING TO BE A GREAT SENATOR. AND AND, UH, I ALSO SO WANT TO CONGRATULATE VIVEK BECAUSE HE DID A HELL OF A JOB. HE CAME FROM, UH, ZERO, AND HE’S GOT A BIG PERCENT, PROBABLY 8%, ALMOST 8%. AND THAT’S AN AMAZING JOB THEY ALL DID. THEY’RE ALL VERY SMART, VERY SMART PEOPLE, VERY CAPABLE PEOPLE. I THINK MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WANT TO THANK MY INCREDIBLE WIFE, THE FIRST LADY. I’LL SAY FORMER AND MAYBE FUTURE. BUT MORE IMPORTANT THAN MELANIA, I WANT TO THANK HER INCREDIBLE, BEAUTIFUL MOTHER WHO PASSED AWAY A FEW DAYS AGO AND SHE’S UP THERE, WAY UP THERE. SHE’S LOOKING DOWN AND SHE’S SO PROUD OF US. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY TO AMALIA, YOU ARE SPECIAL. ONE OF THE MOST SPECIAL PEOPLE I’VE EVER KNOWN. AND THAT WAS A TOUGH PERIOD OF TIME FOR THE FAMILY. BUT SHE, UH, SHE’S AMAZING. SHE WAS AMAZING. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK WHAT SHE’S DONE FOR OUR FAMILY AND OUR HUSBAND, WHO’S HOME RIGHT NOW AND VERY LONELY. HE’S A LONELY MAN, BUT HE’S GOING TO BE OKAY. VICTOR. THEY’RE GREAT PEOPLE. GREAT, GREAT PARENTS TO ALL OF US. REALLY GREAT PARENTS. BUT ALSO GO TO BARRON. BOY, DID SHE TAKE CARE OF BARRON. THAT’S HOW HE GOT SO TALL. HE ONLY ATE HER FOOD. AND I WANT TO THANK MY FAMILY. WE GENERALLY, UH, THEY’VE WORKED SO HARD AND THEY’VE TAKEN SO MUCH ABUSE FOR BEING GOOD PEOPLE. I MEAN, GOOD PEOPLE. BUT, UH, ERIC AND DON AND. IT REALLY DID. THESE TWO HAVE BEEN WORKING SO HARD, AND THEY, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE ANOTHER JOB ALSO. SO THEY HAVE TO DO IT ALL. BUT THEY, THEY’VE BEEN WORKING SO HARD. AND I KNOW THAT IVANKA IS HOME AND TIFFANY’S HOME, THEY’RE WATCHING. AND I KNOW THAT BARON’S WATCHING GOOD OLD BARRON. HE’S THEY SAID YOU’RE GOING TO BE A BASKETBALL PLAYER. I SAID, WELL, I LIKE SOCCER, DAD. ACTUALLY. I SAID, AT YOUR HEIGHT, I LIKE BASKETBALL BETTER, BUT BUT YOU CAN’T SOMETIMES YOU CAN’T TALK THEM INTO EVERYTHING. BUT HE’S A SPECIAL BOY. BUT THE WHOLE FAMILY IS JUST INCREDIBLE. AND MY, UH, SISTER ELIZABETH, WHO’S, UH, JUST THE BIGGEST FAN, SHE’S JUST AN INCREDIBLE PERSON AND ALWAYS SUPPORTIVE. WE LOVE ELIZABETH SO MUCH. UH, ALSO, SO, UH, WE HAVE A WOMAN WHO TOOK A BIG CHANCE, YOU KNOW, IN MOST STATES, WE HAVE SUPPORT OF EVERYBODY. THE CONGRESS, THE SENATORS. WE HAD MARCO RUBIO, WE HAD RICK SCOTT THE OTHER DAY. WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY 50, 55% OF THE SENATORS. AND NOW THEY’RE ALL CALLING AND SAYING, WE WANT TO ENDORSE YOU, SIR. I SAID, OH, GREAT. AND THE SAME THING WITH THE CONGRESSMEN AND WOMEN. WE HAVE TREMENDOUS, MUCH MORE THAN ANYBODY PROBABLY HAS EVER HAD IN THIS POSITION. AND WE LOVE THEM ALL. THEY’RE GREAT. THEY’RE REALLY TRYING TO DO A GOOD JOB FOR OUR COUNTRY. BUT ONE WOMAN IN IOWA WHO REALLY STEPPED UP WAS YOUR ATTORNEY GENERAL. BRENNA BIRD. SHE REALLY, REALLY STEPPED UP. WHERE IS BREDA COMING. THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GLAD TO DO IT. WE NEED YOU. YES. SHE STEPPED UP. SHE’S GOING TO BE YOUR GOVERNOR SOMEDAY, I PREDICT. SO WE’LL SEE. WE’LL SEE. WE’LL BE WATCHING. BUT SHE REALLY DID. SHE BROKE AWAY FROM THE PACK AND SHE HAD TREMENDOUS COURAGE AND WASN’T EASY IN SOME STATES, IT’S EASY. IN OTHER STATES, IT’S A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT. BUT WE HAVE REALLY THE SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE OF IOWA, WHICH HAS BEEN JUST INCREDIBLE. ANOTHER MAN WHO WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST PERSON TO ENDORSE ME IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, HE’S A STATE SENATOR. HIS NAME IS BRAD ZAUN. HE LOOKS LIKE HE’S THE MOST HANDSOME GUY. I THINK. OH, YOU MADE IT. HE HAD A DRIVE FROM HIS CAUCUS LOCATION IN. YOU MADE IT. I CALL HIM THE MARLBORO MAN. HEY, BRAD, YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? COME ON, GO UP. SAY SOMETHING. WELL, I’LL TELL YOU. I HAD TO ACTUALLY DO A TV INTERVIEW BRAGGING ABOUT YOU AND THE REASON WHY I WAS LATE IS BECAUSE OF THAT. BUT, UM, IS HE AWESOME OR WHAT? I AM HONORED TO BE THE FIRST PERSON IN THE UNITED STATES TO ENDORSE THIS GUY. THE NEXT PRESIDENT, THE 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD J. TRUMP. AND WHEN HE SAYS ENDORSE, WE’RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT 2015. HE ENDORSED ME BEFORE, ACTUALLY, LONG BEFORE I KNEW I WAS GOING TO RUN. I SAID, WHO’S THIS MAN IN IOWA? HE’S A SENATOR, A STATE SENATOR IS A GOOD LOOKING GUY, TOO. DOESN’T HE LOOK, HE COULD PAY HIM AND GIVE HIM A LOT OF MONEY AND BY THE WAY, MR. CHAIRMAN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. YOU ARE SO GREAT. COMES ALL THE WAY FROM MISSOURI, WHICH ISN’T THAT FAR. YOU CAN’T YOU CAN’T DRIVE AN ELECTRIC CAR THAT FAR, THOUGH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. THE, THE THE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE ON THE STAGE IS JUST EMBLEMATIC OF THE TREMENDOUS GROUP THAT WE’VE HAD. WE’VE HAD SUCH A GREAT TEAM. YOU KNOW, WE DID WELL. WE WERE LOOKING REALLY GOOD IN 2016. AND, UH, JUST TO GO BACK TO THE SENATOR, HE WAS SAYING, I SAID, WHO IS THAT GUY BRAD? HIS NAME, WHO IS HE? HE KEEPS ENDORSING ME. HE KEEPS SAYING TRUMP. AND I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW I WAS RUNNING. HE ENDORSED ME FOUR MONTHS BEFORE I KNEW I WAS RUNNING, ABOUT FOUR MONTHS BEFORE THE ESCALADE RIDE DOWN WITH OUR GREAT FIRST LADY. AND THAT WAS BRAD. I SAID, WHO IS HE? SO HE WAS THE FIRST ONE. BUT WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE SO INCREDIBLE. YOU’RE REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRMAN BOBBY KAUFMAN AND HIS SON, WHO IS A BRILLIANT GUY, AND HE WORKED WITH US AT AND I WILL TELL YOU, THAT IS A FAMILY OF REAL PROFESSIONALS. MATT WHITAKER, WHO WAS THE VERY TALENT. KID AND VERY GOOD ATTORNEY GENERAL. WHERE IS MADDIE’S? AROUND HERE. SOMEPLACE. AND HE’S BEEN WITH US ALL THE WAY. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A MAN THAT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE. AND I SAY, THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. HE’S SO SOLID AND SO GOOD THAT HE DIDN’T CATCH ON. SOMETIMES BEING. A LITTLE CONTROVERSIAL IS GOOD. HE’S SO PERFECT. ALTHOUGH HE DID BREAK HIS LEG DURING THE CAMPAIGN. THAT WASN’T SO GOOD. BUT IT SORT OF STOOD OUT A LITTLE BIT. DOUG. BUT DOUG BURGUM FROM NORTH DAKOTA, THE GOVERNOR AND HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE, CATHERINE, AND HE GOT OUT OF THE RACE. WHAT PEOPLE DON’T KNOW IS THAT HE ACTUALLY SUPPORTED ME ON THE OTHER SIDE TWICE ALREADY. RIGHT. THEN HE DECIDED TO DO IT AND HE WAS OUTSTANDING. BUT BUT, UH, THE TRACTION IS NEVER EASY, RIGHT? YOU NEED CONTROVERSY FOR TRACTION. SOMETIMES. AND THIS GUY IS THE MOST SOLID GUY. THERE’S NO CONTROVERSY WHATSOEVER. AND HE’S ONE OF THE BEST GOVERNORS IN OUR COUNTRY. AND I HOPE THAT I’M GOING TO BE ABLE TO CALL ON HIM TO BE A PIECE OF THE ADMINISTRATION, A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE ADMINISTRATION IN. AND ALSO JUST TO CONCLUDE WITH THIS, THE ENTIRE TRUMP TEAM, AND THAT INCLUDES MY TWO BOYS WHO ARE REALLY HERE ALL THE TIME. WHENEVER WE NEEDED THEM, WHENEVER WE NEEDED THEM. THEY ARE A GREAT ERIC AND DON AND LOOK AT ALL THESE PEOPLE. OH, SUSIE, I HAVE TO SAY, AND CHRIS AND CHRIS AND THEY WANT NO ACCOLADES. THEY JUST WANT A VICTORY. AND THEY WANT TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. THAT’S ALL THEY WANT. ACTUALLY, THEY DON’T WANT TO BE SPEAKING. THEY DON’T WANT TO HAVE PICTURES. THEY JUST WANT TO DO THEIR JOB RIGHT. I WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JASON. EVERYBODY, YOU’RE REALLY FANTASTIC. WHAT A JOB YOU’VE DONE. THANK YOU. SO WE’RE GOING TO COME TOGETHER. WE’RE GOING TO DRILL BABY DRILL RIGHT AWAY. YEAH. DRILL BABY DRILL. WE’RE GOING TO SEAL UP THE BORDER. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE AN INVASION. WE HAVE AN INVASION OF MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING INTO OUR COUNTRY. I CAN’T IMAGINE WHY THEY THINK THAT’S A GOOD THING. IT’S A VERY BAD THING. I THINK IT’S A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT PROBABLY LARGER IN NUMBER THAN NEW YORK STATE. AND WE CAN’T HAVE THAT. WE CAN’T HAVE THAT. IT’S NOT SUSTAINABLE AS A COUNTRY. IT’S HORRIBLE. AND YOU KNOW, THEY’RE COMING FROM PRISONS AND JAILS. THEY’RE COMING FROM ALL OVER. THEY’RE COMING FROM COUNTRIES THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF. AND THEY’RE COMING FROM MENTAL INSTITUTE SESSIONS AND INSANE ASYLUMS. THEY’RE BEING EMPTIED OUT INTO OUR COUNTRY AND THEY’RE TERRORISTS. MANY TERRORISTS ARE COMING IN, YOU KNOW, IN 2019, I SAW JUST RECENTLY ON A POLL THAT THEY HAD NONE IN IN 29, NO TERRORISTS. NOW, I EVEN SAY THERE’S GOT TO BE SOME, BUT THEY HAVE NONE. AND THEN AS SOON AS THIS GROUP TOOK OVER, THEY HAVE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF TERRORISTS COMING IN, KNOWN TERRORISTS, SOME OF THEM REALLY BAD, AND MANY OF THEM ARE IN AND THEY CAME IN AND NOBODY KNOWS WHERE THEY ARE. THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING. AND WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEPORT. WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A DEPORTATION ARDON LEVEL THAT WE HAVEN’T SEEN IN THIS COUNTRY FOR A LONG TIME, SINCE DWIGHT EISENHOWER ACTUALLY. SO I DON’T WANT TO BE OVERLY, UH, ROUGH ON THE PRESIDENT. BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT HE IS THE WORST PRESIDENT THAT WE’VE HAD IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. HE’S DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY. AND, YOU KNOW, MY WIFE ATTENDED THE FUNERAL TWO MONTHS AGO OF ROSALYNN CARTER. AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. AND JIMMY CARTER WAS THERE. AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, JIMMY CARTER IS HAPPY NOW BECAUSE HE WILL GO DOWN AS BEING A BRILLIANT PRESIDENT BY COMPARISON TO JOE BIDEN. HE’LL BE A BRILLIANT PRESIDENT. IT’S GOING TO BE HE’S GOING TO BE KNOWN AS BRILLIANT BY COMPARISON. SO WE HAVE TO STOP THE INVASION. WE HAVE TO BRING DOWN OUR ENERGY. WE HAVE TO. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, I SAY ALL THE TIME, WE HAVE MORE LIQUID GOLD UNDER OUR FEET THAN ANY OTHER NATION ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. AND WE HAVE TO STOP THE CRIME, AND WE HAVE TO HELP REBUILD OUR CITIES AND WE HAVE TO REBUILD THE CAPITAL, WASHINGTON DC. I WAS THERE ON ONE OF THE BIDEN INDICTED TRIALS. YOU KNOW, I GOT IT THIS IS THE ONLY PERSON THIS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. BUT I GO TO A LOT OF COURTHOUSES BECAUSE OF BIDEN, BECAUSE THEY’RE USING THAT FOR ELECTION INTERFERENCE. AND IT’S ON THINGS LIKE ELECTION. AND I DON’T KNOW IF YOU KNOW, BUT THEY DID POLLS TONIGHT ON THE ELECTION OF 2020. DO YOU BELIEVE IT WAS HONEST OR NOT, 82% SAID 82% SAID IT WAS NOT. AND WE CAN’T HAVE THAT CHAIRMAN. WE CAN’T HAVE THAT. YOU CAN’T HAVE A SITUATION LIKE THAT. SO, UH, WE’RE GOING TO STRAIGHTEN OUT OUR ELECTIONS. WE’RE GOING TO DO A LOT OF GREAT THINGS. WE’RE GOING TO TRY AND GO TO PAPER BALLOTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. VOTER ID ONE DAY, ONE DAY ELECTIONS. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THESE ELECTIONS THAT LAST FOR 62 DAYS. AND IF YOU NEED SOME MORE TIME, TAKE AS MUCH TIME AS YOU WANT AND SO MANY BAD THINGS HAPPEN. WE HAVE TO GET RID OF MAIL IN BALLOTS BECAUSE ONCE YOU HAVE HAVE MAIL IN BALLOTS, YOU HAVE CROOKED ELECTIONS. ACTUALLY, JIMMY CARTER’S COMMISSION SAID THAT A LONG TIME AGO. WE’RE GOING TO RESCUE OUR ECONOMY. WE’RE GOING TO SAVE OUR ECONOMY. WE HAD HAD THE GREATEST ECONOMY IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY, AND WE ARE LISTENING TO, I THINK IT’S FAIR TO SAY, A JOVIAL DONALD TRUMP TONIGHT, THE PROJECTED WINNER OF THE IOWA CAUCUSES, HE THANKED A LOT OF PEOPLE, HAD A LOT TO SAY. A PART OF IT, THOUGH, THAT A BIG PART OF HIS MESSAGE IS COME TOGETHER. IT WIL
Trump notches a commanding win in the Iowa caucuses
Updated: 12:09 AM CST Jan 16, 2024
Former President Donald Trump scored a record-setting win in the Iowa caucuses on Monday with his rivals languishing far behind, a victory that affirmed his grip on the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.Above video: Donald Trump speaks in Des Moines after winning 2024 Iowa caucusesIn what was the lowest-turnout caucus in a quarter-century, participants endured life-threatening cold and dangerous driving conditions to meet in hundreds of schools, churches and community centers across the state. But those who ventured out delivered a roughly 30-point win for Trump that smashed the record for a contested Iowa Republican caucus with a margin of victory exceeding Bob Dole’s nearly 13-percentage-point victory in 1988.CLICK HERE FOR FULL IOWA CAUCUS RESULTS. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis finished a distant second, just ahead of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.The results left Trump with a tighter grip on the GOP nomination, though it could take several more months for anyone to formally become the party’s standard bearer. The magnitude of Trump’s victory, however, posed significant questions for both DeSantis and Haley. Neither candidate appeared poised to exit the race, though they leave Iowa struggling to claim making much progress in trying to become Trump’s strongest challenger.Having repeatedly vowed vengeance against his political opponents in recent months, Trump offered a message of unity in his victory speech.“We want to come together, whether it’s Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative,” he said. “We’re going to come together. It’s going to happen soon.”The GOP contest moves swiftly to New Hampshire, which will hold the first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 23. A shrinking field will compete there after conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy suspended his campaign after a disappointing fourth place finish and endorsed Trump.DeSantis first heads to South Carolina on Tuesday, a conservative stronghold where the Feb. 24 contest could prove pivotal. He will head later in the day New Hampshire.“Because of your support, in spite of all of what they threw at us, we got our ticket punched out of Iowa,” DeSantis told supporters.Haley plans to compete vigorously in New Hampshire, where she hopes to be more successful with the state’s independent voters.“When you look at how well we’re doing in New Hampshire and in South Carolina and beyond, I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race,” she said.In a preview of a remarkable balancing act Trump may have to manage in the months ahead, he was expected to be in court in New York on Tuesday. A jury is poised to consider whether he should pay additional damages to a columnist who last year won a $5 million jury award against Trump for sex abuse and defamation. It’s just one of multiple legal challenges facing the former president.After visiting the court, Trump will fly to New Hampshire to hold a rally Tuesday evening.Trump has made courtroom visits a part of his campaign — heading to court voluntarily twice last week while his opponents campaigned in Iowa — in a strategy designed to portray him as a victim of a politicized legal system. Among Republican voters, at least, the approach is working.The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 7:31 p.m. CST based on an analysis of early returns as well as results of AP VoteCast, of more than 1,500 voters who said they planned to take part in the caucuses. Both showed Trump with an insurmountable lead.Initial results from eight counties showed Trump with far more than half of the total votes counted as of 7:31 p.m., with the rest of the field trailing far behind. These counties included rural areas that are demographically and politically similar to a large number of counties that had yet to report.The Associated Press determined at 11:17 p.m. CST that DeSantis finished a distant second to Trump. With an estimated 10% of ballots remaining to be counted, DeSantis led Haley by approximately 2,300 votes, or about 2 percentage points. With votes reported in all but one of Iowa’s 99 counties, Haley wasn’t doing well enough anywhere to catch DeSantis, based on the number of outstanding votes.| Trump wins Iowa: Why GOP caucus race was called in just 30 minutes |Trump showed significant strength among Iowa’s urban, small-town and rural communities, according to AP VoteCast. He also performed well with evangelical Christians and those without a college degree. And a majority of caucusgoers said they identify with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.One relative weakness for Trump comes in the suburbs, where only about 4 in 10 supported him.Iowa has been an uneven predictor of who will ultimately lead Republicans into the general election. George W. Bush’s 2000 victory was the last time a Republican candidate won in Iowa and went on to become the party’s nominee.| Maps: A look at Iowa caucus results from the past 20 years |But Trump’s success tells a remarkable story of a Republican Party unwilling or unable to move on from a flawed front-runner. He lost to Biden in 2020 after fueling near-constant chaos while in the White House, culminating with his supporters carrying out a deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol. In total, he faces 91 felony charges across four criminal cases.The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether states have the ability to block Trump from the ballot for his role in sparking the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol. And he’s facing criminal trials in Washington and Atlanta for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.Trump has increasingly echoed authoritarian leaders and framed his campaign as one of retribution. He has spoken openly about using the power of government to pursue his political enemies. He has repeatedly harnessed rhetoric once used by Adolf Hitler to argue that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country.” And he recently shared a word cloud last week to his social media account highlighting “revenge,” “power” and “dictatorship.”Trump’s legal challenges appear to have done little damage to his reputation. Many of his supporters view the charges through a political lens.About three-quarters of Iowans responding to AP VoteCast said the charges against Trump are political attempts to undermine him, rather than legitimate attempts to investigate important issues.“God called us to do that to support Trump,” said 64-year-old David Lage, donning a captain’s hat at Trump’s victory party.PGlmcmFtZSBjbGFzcz0iYXAtZW1iZWQiIHRpdGxlPSJMaXZlIGVsZWN0aW9uIHJlc3VsdHMgdmlhIHRoZSBBc3NvY2lhdGVkIFByZXNzIiBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vaW50ZXJhY3RpdmVzLmFwLm9yZy9lbGVjdGlvbi1yZXN1bHRzL2N1c3RvbWVycy9sYXlvdXRzL29yZ2FuaXphdGlvbi1sYXlvdXRzL3B1Ymxpc2hlZC8xMDQ4OTkvOTY5OC5odG1sIiB3aWR0aD0iMTAwJSIgZnJhbWVib3JkZXI9IjAiIHNjcm9sbGluZz0ibm8iIG1hcmdpbmhlaWdodD0iMCI+PC9pZnJhbWU+PHNjcmlwdCBkZWZlciBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vaW50ZXJhY3RpdmVzLmFwLm9yZy9lbGVjdGlvbi1yZXN1bHRzL2Fzc2V0cy9taWNyb3NpdGUvcmVzaXplQ2xpZW50LmpzIj48L3NjcmlwdD4=
Former President Donald Trump scored a record-setting win in the Iowa caucuses on Monday with his rivals languishing far behind, a victory that affirmed his grip on the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Above video: Donald Trump speaks in Des Moines after winning 2024 Iowa caucuses
In what was the lowest-turnout caucus in a quarter-century, participants endured life-threatening cold and dangerous driving conditions to meet in hundreds of schools, churches and community centers across the state. But those who ventured out delivered a roughly 30-point win for Trump that smashed the record for a contested Iowa Republican caucus with a margin of victory exceeding Bob Dole’s nearly 13-percentage-point victory in 1988.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis finished a distant second, just ahead of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.
The results left Trump with a tighter grip on the GOP nomination, though it could take several more months for anyone to formally become the party’s standard bearer. The magnitude of Trump’s victory, however, posed significant questions for both DeSantis and Haley.
Neither candidate appeared poised to exit the race, though they leave Iowa struggling to claim making much progress in trying to become Trump’s strongest challenger.
Having repeatedly vowed vengeance against his political opponents in recent months, Trump offered a message of unity in his victory speech.
“We want to come together, whether it’s Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative,” he said. “We’re going to come together. It’s going to happen soon.”
The GOP contest moves swiftly to New Hampshire, which will hold the first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 23. A shrinking field will compete there after conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy suspended his campaign after a disappointing fourth place finish and endorsed Trump.
DeSantis first heads to South Carolina on Tuesday, a conservative stronghold where the Feb. 24 contest could prove pivotal. He will head later in the day New Hampshire.
“Because of your support, in spite of all of what they threw at us, we got our ticket punched out of Iowa,” DeSantis told supporters.
Haley plans to compete vigorously in New Hampshire, where she hopes to be more successful with the state’s independent voters.
“When you look at how well we’re doing in New Hampshire and in South Carolina and beyond, I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race,” she said.
In a preview of a remarkable balancing act Trump may have to manage in the months ahead, he was expected to be in court in New York on Tuesday. A jury is poised to consider whether he should pay additional damages to a columnist who last year won a $5 million jury award against Trump for sex abuse and defamation. It’s just one of multiple legal challenges facing the former president.
After visiting the court, Trump will fly to New Hampshire to hold a rally Tuesday evening.
Trump has made courtroom visits a part of his campaign — heading to court voluntarily twice last week while his opponents campaigned in Iowa — in a strategy designed to portray him as a victim of a politicized legal system. Among Republican voters, at least, the approach is working.
The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 7:31 p.m. CST based on an analysis of early returns as well as results of AP VoteCast, of more than 1,500 voters who said they planned to take part in the caucuses. Both showed Trump with an insurmountable lead.
Initial results from eight counties showed Trump with far more than half of the total votes counted as of 7:31 p.m., with the rest of the field trailing far behind. These counties included rural areas that are demographically and politically similar to a large number of counties that had yet to report.
The Associated Press determined at 11:17 p.m. CST that DeSantis finished a distant second to Trump. With an estimated 10% of ballots remaining to be counted, DeSantis led Haley by approximately 2,300 votes, or about 2 percentage points. With votes reported in all but one of Iowa’s 99 counties, Haley wasn’t doing well enough anywhere to catch DeSantis, based on the number of outstanding votes.
| Trump wins Iowa: Why GOP caucus race was called in just 30 minutes |
Trump showed significant strength among Iowa’s urban, small-town and rural communities, according to AP VoteCast. He also performed well with evangelical Christians and those without a college degree. And a majority of caucusgoers said they identify with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.
One relative weakness for Trump comes in the suburbs, where only about 4 in 10 supported him.
Iowa has been an uneven predictor of who will ultimately lead Republicans into the general election. George W. Bush’s 2000 victory was the last time a Republican candidate won in Iowa and went on to become the party’s nominee.
| Maps: A look at Iowa caucus results from the past 20 years |
But Trump’s success tells a remarkable story of a Republican Party unwilling or unable to move on from a flawed front-runner. He lost to Biden in 2020 after fueling near-constant chaos while in the White House, culminating with his supporters carrying out a deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol. In total, he faces 91 felony charges across four criminal cases.
The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether states have the ability to block Trump from the ballot for his role in sparking the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol. And he’s facing criminal trials in Washington and Atlanta for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Trump has increasingly echoed authoritarian leaders and framed his campaign as one of retribution. He has spoken openly about using the power of government to pursue his political enemies. He has repeatedly harnessed rhetoric once used by Adolf Hitler to argue that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country.” And he recently shared a word cloud last week to his social media account highlighting “revenge,” “power” and “dictatorship.”
Trump’s legal challenges appear to have done little damage to his reputation. Many of his supporters view the charges through a political lens.
About three-quarters of Iowans responding to AP VoteCast said the charges against Trump are political attempts to undermine him, rather than legitimate attempts to investigate important issues.
“God called us to do that to support Trump,” said 64-year-old David Lage, donning a captain’s hat at Trump’s victory party.