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Iowa caucus recap: Trump dominates, DeSantis edges Haley for second

Iowa caucus recap: Trump dominates, DeSantis edges Haley for second
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
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Iowa caucus recap: Trump dominates, DeSantis edges Haley for second
Donald Trump dominated the 2024 Iowa Republican caucuses. With 97% of the votes counted at 11:15 p.m., the former president sat at 51.1%, a mark that would smash the record for a contested Iowa Republican caucus with a margin of victory exceeding the nearly 13 percentage points that Bob Dole won by in 1988.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (21.2%) finished a distant second ahead of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley (19.1%).Numbers aren't final yet, but Trump looks like he's finished first in 98 of Iowa's 99 counties. With 99% of votes counted in Johnson County, according to AP, he finished second to Haley — by one vote, 1,271 to 1,270. Scroll down for a recap of Monday night's caucuses:FULL 2024 IOWA CAUCUS RESULTSRepublican candidates depart Iowa early Tuesday, heading to New Hampshire for next week's primaryCandidates didn't waste much time getting out of the state.Watch the video below from the Des Moines airport as candidates, campaigns and national media took off for New Hampshire.Watch: Donald Trump speaks in Des Moines after winning 2024 Iowa caucusesTrump is celebrating his Iowa win.The former president was flanked on stage by members of his family and senior campaign staff, as well as members of Congress and other supporters who traveled to Iowa to campaign by his side.He began his remarks with a conciliatory tone, saying it’s time for the country to come together.Trump offered a shout-out to DeSantis and Haley, whom he has skewered on the trail.“I want to congratulate Ron and Nikki for having a good time together,” he quipped.Hear from Iowa A.G. Brenna Bird, who Donald Trump said could be Iowa governor somedayIn his speech Monday night after winning the Iowa caucuses, Donald Trump thanked supporters who were lined up on stage with him, including Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird. "One woman in Iowa who really stepped up was your attorney general," Trump said."Glad to do it," she said while hugging the former president. "We need you.""She's gonna be your governor someday, I predict," Trump said.Asked about the comment later Monday night by ÌÇĐÄvlog's Todd Magel, Bird said: "That was a kind thing for him to say. ... I'm pretty focused on my current job. ... We have a great governor in Kim Reynolds."DeSantis takes second place in Iowa’s caucuses; Haley says third-place finish shows momentumThe Associated Press has determined that DeSantis will finish in a distant second in the Iowa caucuses, ahead of Haley and behind Trump.With an estimated 10% of ballots remaining to be counted around 10:20 p.m., DeSantis leads Haley by approximately 2,300 votes, or about 2 percentage points.With votes reported in all but one of Iowa’s 99 counties, Haley isn’t doing well enough anywhere to catch DeSantis, based on the number of outstanding votes.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks in Des Moines after finishing second in Iowa caucusesHaley didn’t get the second-place finish she was hoping for, but she told Iowa caucusgoers that her standing shows her campaign has momentum.The former U.N. ambassador noted that she went from low single-digit support when she entered the race to placing third in Iowa. She told a packed ballroom at her caucus night headquarters that Iowans had given her the sort of results that would enable her to run a campaign that would make them proud.“When you look at how well we’re doing in New Hampshire, in South Carolina and beyond, I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race,” Haley said.Haley heads Monday night to New Hampshire, which holds the country’s first-in-the-nation GOP primary on Jan. 23.Nikki Haley speaks in Des Moines after third-place finish in Iowa caucusesVivek Ramaswamy suspends campaign, endorses Donald TrumpVivek Ramaswamy says he's ending his Republican presidential bid after a disappointing finish in Iowa. Ramaswamy made the announcement Monday, following a fourth-place finish in Iowa, pledging his support to frontrunner Donald Trump.Trump, DeSantis, Haley awarded first delegates of 2024The Associated Press has allocated 16 of Iowa’s 40 delegates to Trump and four delegates each to Haley and DeSantis. These two dozen delegates represent 60% of the state’s total. Delegates will cast their votes at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this summer.The way delegates are awarded differs by state, and in Iowa, the delegates are awarded proportionally based on the statewide vote. There are no minimum thresholds candidates need to reach in order to win delegates in Iowa. As of 9:05 p.m., with nearly 40% of the expected vote counted, Trump is receiving a majority of the vote. Based on the AP’s analysis of the initial vote and its AP VoteCast survey, Trump will win at least 40% of the vote in Iowa, and DeSantis and Haley will each win at least 10%.The AP will allocate the state’s remaining delegates as more of the vote is counted.Trump not these Iowans' first choice, but will they support him if he gets nomination?Most Trump supporters in Iowa caucuses say they knew they’d support him all along, AP VoteCast showsIn some ways, Iowa’s Republican caucuses were practically over before they began, with Donald Trump cultivating a deep network of support over three presidential runs.About 7 in 10 Iowans who caucused for Trump on Monday night said they have known all along that they would support a man who has remade the Republican Party through his “Make America Great Again” political movement. Trump was carried to victory by the majority of caucusgoers who say they back it, a sign of his growing influence in a state that denied him a victory eight years ago.A silent victory partyTypically, attendees at political victory parties assemble early to watch the results come in and erupt in cheers when their candidate wins.But the call declaring Trump the winner of Iowa’s caucuses came so early that the former president wasn’t on site yet and his invited guests hadn’t yet arrived. So round cocktail tables draped with black tablecloths stood empty and bottles of wine and beer sat on ice awaiting the start of the party.Trump is expected to speak later Monday night at the Iowa Events Center venue, flanked by many American flags.First-time caucusgoer votes for DeSantis, citing economic concernsSpencer Cook, a 24-year-old commodity trader, attended his first caucus on Monday night and voted for DeSantis.Cook said he was motivated above all else by boosting the economy, which he said is “a little bit stagnant right now.” He said his salary doesn’t go as far as it did when he started his first job a year and a half ago.“Buying a house for someone my age is really tough,” Cook said at his caucus site in Waukee. “Interest rates are high. Housing prices are really high.”Lifelong Iowa Democrat registers as Republican Monday to support HaleyCarol Hendrick is a lifelong Iowa Democrat, but she registered as a Republican on Monday night so she could caucus for Haley.Hendrick said just before the GOP hopeful spoke at her caucus site in Des Moines that she would do “anything I could do” to keep Trump from becoming president again.“Her doing well makes Trump look worse,” Hendrick said. “I do wish her well. She’s an accomplished person.”Hendrick said she would back Democrat Joe Biden in the general election, even if Haley won the Republican nomination.Haley appeals to voters who want to ‘move forward with no more vendettas’Haley has added a forward-looking wind-up to her standard campaign speech that seemed to graze Trump.“If you want to move forward with no more vendettas, if you want to move forward with a sense of hope, join us in this caucus,” she said. “I ask for your vote. And I promise you I will make sure every day I focus on what it takes to make you proud.”Several hundred people at the Horizon Events Center rose to their feet in applause.What’s next for Trump?The magnitude of Trump’s success is still coming into focus and it is not immediately clear who will emerge as the second-place finisher.But Trump was already looking ahead to a potential general election matchup against President Joe Biden as he addressed hundreds of cheering supporters at a caucus site at the Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa.“He is totally destroying our country,” Trump said of Biden.Trump is expected to fly to New York Monday night so he can be in court Tuesday as 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.He will then fly to New Hampshire, the next state in the Republican primary calendar, to hold a rally Tuesday evening.WATCH: Trump's initial thoughts after being named winner of Iowa caucusesFirst results posted in under 30 minutes; AP calls race for Trump shortly afterTrump has won Iowa’s leadoff presidential caucuses, giving him a strong start in the race for the 2024 Republican nomination. His rivals are jostling for second place, hoping for a bump heading into New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 23.The Associated Press declared Trump the winner of the Iowa caucuses based on an analysis of early returns as well as results of AP VoteCast, a survey of voters who planned to caucus on Monday night. 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 include rural areas that are demographically and politically similar to a large number of counties that have yet to report.Caucuses open right at 7 p.m.Iowa’s Republican caucuses begin as the 2024 GOP presidential primary gets underway.GOP candidates' 'closing arguments'ÌÇĐÄvlog asked each of the six GOP candidates for a final interview — a sort of final pitch to Iowa voters before they head out to caucus Monday night. Donald Trump declined.Hear closing arguments from:Ryan BinkleyRon DeSantisNikki HaleyAsa HutchinsonVivek RamaswamyWhat time do Iowa caucuses start? The Republican caucuses will convene statewide at 7 p.m. local time Monday and begin with the election of a caucus chair and secretary. Get more about caucus timing and order of events. Republican Party of Iowa chairman: Iowa isn't supposed to predict the next presidentRepublican Party of Iowa chairman Jeff Kaufmann opened the evening at 5 p.m. with remarks from the Media Filing Center at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. "We're not supposed to pick the next president of the United States," he said. "I hear that all the time — 'Iowa's not very predictive.' We're not supposed to be. If we were predictive why would we need 55 other contests in order to determine who our nominee is?" Hear more from Kaufmann:ÌÇĐÄvlog programming note for Monday: NFL game, live caucus coverageDue to weather conditions, the NFL playoff game between the Steelers and Bills will now take place Monday at 3:30 p.m. This will impact our Commitment 2024 caucus coverage.The game will air on our main channel 8.1.We will air our 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts on MeTV, channel 8.2, Monday, with our Commitment 2024 live caucus coverage following at 6:30.Our caucus coverage, which will stream in full at ÌÇĐÄvlog.com and on our app, will then move to 8.1 as soon as the game's over.Eric Trump in Iowa on Caucus Day: 'You want to win by a big margin'Eric Trump was in Des Moines for Caucus Day to support his father's campaign. He said the Trump family has "nostalgia" for Iowa, where Donald Trump finished second in 2016 to Ted Cruz before winning the party nomination — and eventually the presidency. Eric Trump wants to leave no doubt Monday night: "You want to win by a big margin. You want to end the Republican primaries here."Hear more from Eric Trump:Haley wins over an undecided caucusgoerNikki Haley is making her case to some last-minute undecided caucusgoers — and winning over at least one.During her third stop of a final pre-caucus push in PB’s Pub, Haley asked for a showing of hands from those who hadn’t yet made up thseir minds.“We’ve got one guy,” she said, seeing Chris Varney raise his hand in the back.After giving brief remarks and telling Iowans that “It’s go time,” Varney got a chance to speak with Haley.“OK, she got me,” Varney said, prompting cheers from other attendees.‘The world is counting on Iowa,’ Kari Lake saysDozens of Trump supporters are gathered at ShinyTop Brewing in Fort Dodge to get up close and personal with some of the former president’s best-known endorsers, including Reps. Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene, as well as U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake of Arizona.“I want to tell you how much the world is counting on Iowa tonight,” Lake told the crowd. She added: “What you’re going to do tonight is you’re going to help save this world.”Republican presidential candidates make last pitch to Iowa voters ahead of caucusesCandidates were out and about Monday morning in various parts of the state, trying one last time to convince Iowa Republicans to caucus for them.See more in the video below.Catching up with undecided Iowa RepublicansÌÇĐÄvlog met with many undecided Iowa Republicans through our Coffee with the Candidates series of conversations with GOP candidates. ÌÇĐÄvlog chief political reporter Amanda Rooker caught up with five of those Republicans to see if they had made up their minds ahead of Monday's caucuses.Hear from each of them:Iowa caucus forecast: Coldest caucuses everMonday's Iowa caucuses will be the coldest in modern history. Skies will be dry across the state, but the arctic air and frigid breeze will be brutal. We hit 1 degree Monday in Des Moines, but the wind chill stayed well below zero. It'll be -7 when caucuses start at 7 p.m. and will feel closer to -30.Des Moines high, low temperatures each caucus day since 1972Feb. 3, 2020: 36°/29°Feb. 1, 2016: 47°/27°Jan. 3, 2012: 40°/10°Jan. 3, 2008: 30°/4°Jan. 19, 2004: 16°* (Coldest high)/2°Jan. 24, 2000: 41°/5°Feb. 12, 1996: 30°/22°Feb. 10, 1992: 44°/24°Feb. 8, 1988: 36°/10°Feb. 20, 1984: 49°/22°Jan. 21, 1980: 33°/24°Jan. 19, 1976: 42°/7°Jan. 24, 1972: 25°/-4°* (Coldest low)Coldest caucus: Will Iowa’s deep freeze influence turnout for the caucuses?The weather has also impacted major roads throughout the state. ÌÇĐÄvlog's Scott Carpenter hit the road early Monday morning to take a closer look at conditions. Watch the video below for more.Caucus day has arrivedÌÇĐÄvlog's Alyssa Gomez was at the Iowa Events Center bright and early Monday morning to report from the caucus media headquarters. WHY IS IOWA FIRST? Here's how Iowa caucuses became first in the nationWhat is a caucus?A political caucus is a gathering of people with a shared interest or goal. The Iowa caucuses are a series of local meetings held throughout the state where participants conduct party business and usually indicate their preference for a presidential nominee to represent the party on the November ballot. It’s also the first step in a months-long process to select people to serve as delegates to the national party conventions this summer.How are caucuses different from primaries?One of the main differences between caucuses and primaries is the amount of time allotted for voting to occur and the methods by which people can vote. In a primary, people can show up at the polls and cast ballots throughout Election Day, from the early morning until polls close in the evening. They have the option of casting an absentee ballot if they can’t make it to the polls on Election Day, and in some states, people may vote before Election Day. The Iowa caucuses, on the other hand, are held in the evening and voters must attend in person in order to participate, except in a few isolated instances. Caucuses are run by political parties, whereas primaries are usually (but not always) run by the state. How will the Republican caucuses work in 2024?There will be two main agenda items at every Republican caucus site: holding a binding vote for the party’s presidential nominee and electing delegates to attend county conventions, which is the next step in the multi-tiered process of electing delegates to attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this summer.The binding presidential vote functions essentially like a party-run primary, only with very limited polling hours and no accommodation for absentee voting, except for a tiny handful of overseas and military voters. There are speeches on behalf of various candidates before the voting and a variety of party business after the vote. Individual caucus chairs are allowed to exercise some discretion in how to conduct the vote, but the voting is done by secret ballot and there is no set list of candidates. Voters must be given the option to vote for any candidate they choose. In the past, some caucus sites have pre-printed the names of major candidates and provided a write-in option, but typically, voters vote by writing the name of a candidate on a blank slip of paper.There is no walking around the caucus room to form candidate preference groups. That voting method was a feature of Democratic caucuses from 1972 to 2020 but is no longer in use by either party in 2024.The Republican caucuses will convene statewide at 7 p.m. local time (8 p.m. EST), and begin with the election of a caucus chair and secretary. Only registered Republicans may participate in the caucuses and only in their designated home precincts. However, Iowans may register or change their party affiliation on caucus day. Voters must turn 18 by the November general election in order to participate.Watch: Political analyst Marc Sandalow weighs in on importance of Iowa caucusesMarc Sandalow is a political analyst and the San Francisco Chronicle's former Washington Bureau chief. He talked to ÌÇĐÄvlog about the importance of the Iowa caucuses and what he sees as the two biggest stories from Monday night: if Trump meets expectations and wins Iowa by double-digits, and if Nikki Haley really has passed Ron DeSantis.Watch our full interview with Sandalow:Iowa Republican leader predicts ‘robust’ caucus turnoutIowa Republican Party Chair Jeff Kaufmann is feeling more optimistic about caucus turnout than he was a few days ago.“If you would have asked me this and the caucuses would have been two days ago, I would have said we would have significantly less turnout,” Kaufmann told reporters at a briefing hosted by Bloomberg on Sunday.Clear skies Sunday that helped create conditions for crews to clear the roads bolstered his confidence. He said he was more concerned about icy roads than about low temperatures, which he said Iowans were accustomed to.Without putting an exact number on it, Kauffman said, “I think it’s going to be a robust turnout.”Coldest caucus: Will Iowa’s deep freeze influence turnout for the caucuses?IOWA CAUCUS LINKS:2024 US presidential caucuses, primaries, explainedMaps: A look at Iowa caucus results from the past 20 yearsHow will the Iowa Republican caucuses work in 2024?How will the Iowa Democratic caucuses work in 2024?2024 will likely be the coldest caucuses everTrump urges voters not to let deep freeze — of anything else — keep them from caucusingHeading into the caucuses, much of the focus has been on Donald Trump’s strong standing. The surprise may ultimately be more about the turnout and who would benefit from the brutal winter storm limiting participation.After all, the caucus isn’t built for convenience. Those who participate must venture out after dark to one of 1,567 locations, almost always requiring a drive. The roads will be icy, the wind chill will be dozens of degrees below zero. Iowans are a famously hardy stock, but even they may flinch at venturing out in those conditions."Brave the weather and go out and save America," Trump said during a rally Sunday at Simpson College. "... You can't sit home. If you're sick as a dog you say, 'Darlin, I've got to make it.' Even if you vote and then pass away, it's worth it."WATCH: ÌÇĐÄvlog chief political reporter Amanda Rooker explains the Iowa caucusesIowa’s Christian conservatives follow their faith when voting, and some say it leads them to TrumpPastor Charles Hundley opened his worship service on a cold Sunday earlier this month in northeast Des Moines with a prayer that made it clear one endorsement above all will matter in Iowa’s caucuses.“We thank you for the upcoming election, Lord — or caucus, as we call it in Iowa,” said Hundley, speaking from the sanctuary of his evangelical Christian church in his slight Texas drawl as his parishioners bowed their heads.“It doesn’t matter what our opinion is,” he went on. “It’s really what’s your opinion that matters. But you’ve given us the privilege of being able to exercise a beautiful gift. The gift of vote. We thank you for that.”While Hundley stops short of suggesting to his parishioners which candidate divine guidance should lead them to support, he is among more than 300 pastors and other faith leaders who’ve been described as supporters by former President Donald Trump’s campaign. It’s a message that some members of Hundley’s First Church of God have taken to heart, saying their faith informs their intention to caucus for Trump.Last Iowa Poll before caucusesThe final Des Moines Register/NBC News poll before Monday night’s caucuses found former President Donald Trump maintaining a formidable lead, supported by nearly half of likely caucusgoers. Nikki Haley, the former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor, and Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, remain locked in a close battle for second.Watch Sunday's episode of ÌÇĐÄvlog's Close UpCOFFEE WITH THE CANDIDATES: All of our in-depth interviews with 2024 Republican presidential candidates Trump on the record: Casey's makes good pizzaDonald Trump handed out boxes of Casey's pizza at Waukee Fire Department Sunday, then asked for a slice of his own, saying: “This is good pizza, by the way."DeSantis dons an overcoat days after leaving his at homeRon DeSantis is wearing a winter coat again.The Florida governor was bundled up at a campaign event in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, days after he left his coat at home in the Sunshine State when he was there delivering his State of the State address Tuesday.“This is my winter coat. I have not worn this since I’ve been governor once,” DeSantis said in Iowa.He told a crowd at a construction contractors convention in Des Moines on Wednesday that his staff was hustling his coat from Tallahassee.Important dates for 2024 presidential election Iowa caucuses: Jan. 15 Super Tuesday: March 5, 2024Republican National Convention: July 15-18 in MilwaukeeDemocratic National Convention: Aug. 19-22 in ChicagoElection day: Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024Who’s running for president in 2024? Here’s a rundown of the candidatesHow will the Democratic caucuses work in 2024?Iowa Democrats had to completely redo their caucus and presidential delegate selection process after their 2020 caucuses devolved into chaos and failed to produce a clear, undisputed winner.This year, Iowa Democrats will still hold caucuses on the same day as Republicans, but unlike in previous years, caucus-goers will not vote or indicate their pick to represent the party on the November presidential ballot. Instead, they will vote for a party nominee through a mail-in voting process that begins Jan. 12 and concludes on March 5.The Democratic caucuses on Jan. 15 will elect delegates to the county conventions in March, which is the next step in selecting the individuals to serve as delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August. National convention delegates will be required to vote for a presidential nominee in accordance with the results of the mail-in voting process.Do the winners in Iowa and New Hampshire usually win the party’s nomination?Not necessarily. In 2020, Biden didn’t win either Iowa or New Hampshire, but his campaign got a reset in South Carolina and he went on to the Democratic nomination and the White House.In 2016, Donald Trump lost Iowa but won New Hampshire, similar to fellow Republican Mitt Romney in 2012.In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama won Iowa, but lost New Hampshire. Republican John McCain lost Iowa that year but won New Hampshire.The last candidate to win both in Iowa and New Hampshire and go on to the White House was Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1976, although he technically placed second in Iowa, behind “uncommitted.”Iowa Republican caucus winners and who became GOP nominee2020Trump ran for reelection2016Iowa winner: Ted CruzEventual nominee: Donald Trump2012Iowa winner: Rick SantorumEventual nominee: Mitt Romney2008Iowa winner: Mike HuckabeeEventual nominee: John McCain2004Bush ran for reelection2000Iowa winner: George W. BushEventual nominee: George W. Bush1996Iowa winner: Bob DoleEventual nominee: Bob Dole1992Bush ran for reelection1988Iowa winner: Bob DoleEventual nominee: George H.W. Bush1984Reagan ran for reelection1980Iowa winner: George H.W. BushEventual nominee: Ronald Reagan1976Iowa winner: Gerald FordEventual nominee: Gerald FordWhen will we know which candidate has enough delegates to be the party’s nominee?We will have to see how the primaries play out.Keep an eye on Super Tuesday, March 5. While there won’t yet be enough delegates on the table to clinch the nomination, that is the night with the largest pot of delegates, where Republicans in 16 states and territories will vote for president.It might take until May or June for one candidate to secure enough votes to win his or her party’s nomination. The last presidential primaries occur on June 4.An inside look at the different places thousands of Iowans will meet for the 2024 caucusesÌÇĐÄvlog caught up with local county GOP leaders to see what preparation looks like in the weeks and days before the Iowa caucuses. Take a look at how the caucuses come together:Past Iowa caucus results
DES MOINES, Iowa —

Donald Trump dominated the 2024 Iowa Republican caucuses.

With 97% of the votes counted at 11:15 p.m., the former president sat at 51.1%, a mark that would smash the record for a contested Iowa Republican caucus with a margin of victory exceeding the nearly 13 percentage points that Bob Dole won by in 1988.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (21.2%) finished a distant second ahead of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley (19.1%).

Numbers aren't final yet, but Trump looks like he's finished first in 98 of Iowa's 99 counties. With 99% of votes counted in Johnson County, according to AP, he finished second to Haley — by one vote, 1,271 to 1,270.

Scroll down for a recap of Monday night's caucuses:

FULL 2024 IOWA CAUCUS RESULTS

Republican candidates depart Iowa early Tuesday, heading to New Hampshire for next week's primary

Candidates didn't waste much time getting out of the state.

Watch the video below from the Des Moines airport as candidates, campaigns and national media took off for New Hampshire.

Watch: Donald Trump speaks in Des Moines after winning 2024 Iowa caucuses

Trump is celebrating his Iowa win.

The former president was flanked on stage by members of his family and senior campaign staff, as well as members of Congress and other supporters who traveled to Iowa to campaign by his side.

He began his remarks with a conciliatory tone, saying it’s time for the country to come together.

Trump offered a shout-out to DeSantis and Haley, whom he has skewered on the trail.

“I want to congratulate Ron and Nikki for having a good time together,” he quipped.



Hear from Iowa A.G. Brenna Bird, who Donald Trump said could be Iowa governor someday

In his speech Monday night after winning the Iowa caucuses, Donald Trump thanked supporters who were lined up on stage with him, including Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird.

"One woman in Iowa who really stepped up was your attorney general," Trump said.

"Glad to do it," she said while hugging the former president. "We need you."

"She's gonna be your governor someday, I predict," Trump said.

Asked about the comment later Monday night by ÌÇĐÄvlog's Todd Magel, Bird said: "That was a kind thing for him to say. ... I'm pretty focused on my current job. ... We have a great governor in Kim Reynolds."

DeSantis takes second place in Iowa’s caucuses; Haley says third-place finish shows momentum

The Associated Press has determined that DeSantis will finish in a distant second in the Iowa caucuses, ahead of Haley and behind Trump.

With an estimated 10% of ballots remaining to be counted around 10:20 p.m., DeSantis leads Haley by approximately 2,300 votes, or about 2 percentage points.

With votes reported in all but one of Iowa’s 99 counties, Haley isn’t doing well enough anywhere to catch DeSantis, based on the number of outstanding votes.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks in Des Moines after finishing second in Iowa caucuses

Haley didn’t get the second-place finish she was hoping for, but she told Iowa caucusgoers that her standing shows her campaign has momentum.

The former U.N. ambassador noted that she went from low single-digit support when she entered the race to placing third in Iowa. She told a packed ballroom at her caucus night headquarters that Iowans had given her the sort of results that would enable her to run a campaign that would make them proud.

“When you look at how well we’re doing in New Hampshire, in South Carolina and beyond, I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race,” Haley said.

Haley heads Monday night to New Hampshire, which holds the country’s first-in-the-nation GOP primary on Jan. 23.

Nikki Haley speaks in Des Moines after third-place finish in Iowa caucuses

Vivek Ramaswamy suspends campaign, endorses Donald Trump

Vivek Ramaswamy says he's ending his Republican presidential bid after a disappointing finish in Iowa. Ramaswamy made the announcement Monday, following a fourth-place finish in Iowa, pledging his support to frontrunner Donald Trump.

Trump, DeSantis, Haley awarded first delegates of 2024

The Associated Press has allocated 16 of Iowa’s 40 delegates to Trump and four delegates each to Haley and DeSantis. These two dozen delegates represent 60% of the state’s total. Delegates will cast their votes at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this summer.

The way delegates are awarded differs by state, and in Iowa, the delegates are awarded proportionally based on the statewide vote. There are no minimum thresholds candidates need to reach in order to win delegates in Iowa. As of 9:05 p.m., with nearly 40% of the expected vote counted, Trump is receiving a majority of the vote. Based on the AP’s analysis of the initial vote and its AP VoteCast survey, Trump will win at least 40% of the vote in Iowa, and DeSantis and Haley will each win at least 10%.

The AP will allocate the state’s remaining delegates as more of the vote is counted.

Trump not these Iowans' first choice, but will they support him if he gets nomination?

Most Trump supporters in Iowa caucuses say they knew they’d support him all along, AP VoteCast shows

In some ways, Iowa’s Republican caucuses were practically over before they began, with Donald Trump cultivating a deep network of support over three presidential runs.

About 7 in 10 Iowans who caucused for Trump on Monday night said they have known all along that they would support a man who has remade the Republican Party through his “Make America Great Again” political movement. Trump was carried to victory by the majority of caucusgoers who say they back it, a sign of his growing influence in a state that denied him a victory eight years ago.

A silent victory party

Typically, attendees at political victory parties assemble early to watch the results come in and erupt in cheers when their candidate wins.

But the call declaring Trump the winner of Iowa’s caucuses came so early that the former president wasn’t on site yet and his invited guests hadn’t yet arrived. So round cocktail tables draped with black tablecloths stood empty and bottles of wine and beer sat on ice awaiting the start of the party.

Trump is expected to speak later Monday night at the Iowa Events Center venue, flanked by many American flags.

trump early victory party
AP Photo/Hannah Fingerhut
Tables stand empty as former President Donald Trump is declared winner of the Republican caucus at a victory party in Des Moines, Iowa on Monday.

First-time caucusgoer votes for DeSantis, citing economic concerns

Spencer Cook, a 24-year-old commodity trader, attended his first caucus on Monday night and voted for DeSantis.

Cook said he was motivated above all else by boosting the economy, which he said is “a little bit stagnant right now.” He said his salary doesn’t go as far as it did when he started his first job a year and a half ago.

“Buying a house for someone my age is really tough,” Cook said at his caucus site in Waukee. “Interest rates are high. Housing prices are really high.”

Lifelong Iowa Democrat registers as Republican Monday to support Haley

Carol Hendrick is a lifelong Iowa Democrat, but she registered as a Republican on Monday night so she could caucus for Haley.

Hendrick said just before the GOP hopeful spoke at her caucus site in Des Moines that she would do “anything I could do” to keep Trump from becoming president again.

“Her doing well makes Trump look worse,” Hendrick said. “I do wish her well. She’s an accomplished person.”

Hendrick said she would back Democrat Joe Biden in the general election, even if Haley won the Republican nomination.

Haley appeals to voters who want to ‘move forward with no more vendettas’

Haley has added a forward-looking wind-up to her standard campaign speech that seemed to graze Trump.

“If you want to move forward with no more vendettas, if you want to move forward with a sense of hope, join us in this caucus,” she said. “I ask for your vote. And I promise you I will make sure every day I focus on what it takes to make you proud.”

Several hundred people at the Horizon Events Center rose to their feet in applause.

What’s next for Trump?

The magnitude of Trump’s success is still coming into focus and it is not immediately clear who will emerge as the second-place finisher.

But Trump was already looking ahead to a potential general election matchup against President Joe Biden as he addressed hundreds of cheering supporters at a caucus site at the Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa.

“He is totally destroying our country,” Trump said of Biden.

Trump is expected to fly to New York Monday night so he can be in court Tuesday as 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.

He will then fly to New Hampshire, the next state in the Republican primary calendar, to hold a rally Tuesday evening.

WATCH: Trump's initial thoughts after being named winner of Iowa caucuses

First results posted in under 30 minutes; AP calls race for Trump shortly after

Trump has won Iowa’s leadoff presidential caucuses, giving him a strong start in the race for the 2024 Republican nomination. His rivals are jostling for second place, hoping for a bump heading into New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 23.

The Associated Press declared Trump the winner of the Iowa caucuses based on an analysis of early returns as well as results of AP VoteCast, a survey of voters who planned to caucus on Monday night. 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 include rural areas that are demographically and politically similar to a large number of counties that have yet to report.

Caucuses open right at 7 p.m.

Iowa’s Republican caucuses begin as the 2024 GOP presidential primary gets underway.

GOP candidates' 'closing arguments'

ÌÇĐÄvlog asked each of the six GOP candidates for a final interview — a sort of final pitch to Iowa voters before they head out to caucus Monday night. Donald Trump declined.

Hear closing arguments from:

What time do Iowa caucuses start?

The Republican caucuses will convene statewide at 7 p.m. local time Monday and begin with the election of a caucus chair and secretary. Get more about caucus timing and order of events.

Republican Party of Iowa chairman: Iowa isn't supposed to predict the next president

Republican Party of Iowa chairman Jeff Kaufmann opened the evening at 5 p.m. with remarks from the Media Filing Center at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.

"We're not supposed to pick the next president of the United States," he said. "I hear that all the time — 'Iowa's not very predictive.' We're not supposed to be. If we were predictive why would we need 55 other contests in order to determine who our nominee is?"

Hear more from Kaufmann:

ÌÇĐÄvlog programming note for Monday: NFL game, live caucus coverage

Due to weather conditions, the NFL playoff game between the Steelers and Bills will now take place Monday at 3:30 p.m. This will impact our Commitment 2024 caucus coverage.

The game will air on our main channel 8.1.

We will air our 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts on MeTV, channel 8.2, Monday, with our Commitment 2024 live caucus coverage following at 6:30.

Our caucus coverage, which will stream in full at ÌÇĐÄvlog.com and on our app, will then move to 8.1 as soon as the game's over.

Eric Trump in Iowa on Caucus Day: 'You want to win by a big margin'

Eric Trump was in Des Moines for Caucus Day to support his father's campaign. He said the Trump family has "nostalgia" for Iowa, where Donald Trump finished second in 2016 to Ted Cruz before winning the party nomination — and eventually the presidency. Eric Trump wants to leave no doubt Monday night: "You want to win by a big margin. You want to end the Republican primaries here."

Hear more from Eric Trump:

Haley wins over an undecided caucusgoer

Nikki Haley is making her case to some last-minute undecided caucusgoers — and winning over at least one.

During her third stop of a final pre-caucus push in PB’s Pub, Haley asked for a showing of hands from those who hadn’t yet made up thseir minds.

“We’ve got one guy,” she said, seeing Chris Varney raise his hand in the back.

After giving brief remarks and telling Iowans that “It’s go time,” Varney got a chance to speak with Haley.

“OK, she got me,” Varney said, prompting cheers from other attendees.

‘The world is counting on Iowa,’ Kari Lake says

Dozens of Trump supporters are gathered at ShinyTop Brewing in Fort Dodge to get up close and personal with some of the former president’s best-known endorsers, including Reps. Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene, as well as U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake of Arizona.

“I want to tell you how much the world is counting on Iowa tonight,” Lake told the crowd. She added: “What you’re going to do tonight is you’re going to help save this world.”

Republican presidential candidates make last pitch to Iowa voters ahead of caucuses

Candidates were out and about Monday morning in various parts of the state, trying one last time to convince Iowa Republicans to caucus for them.

See more in the video below.

Catching up with undecided Iowa Republicans

ÌÇĐÄvlog met with many undecided Iowa Republicans through our Coffee with the Candidates series of conversations with GOP candidates. ÌÇĐÄvlog chief political reporter Amanda Rooker caught up with five of those Republicans to see if they had made up their minds ahead of Monday's caucuses.

Hear from each of them:

Iowa caucus forecast: Coldest caucuses ever

Monday's Iowa caucuses will be the coldest in modern history.

Skies will be dry across the state, but the arctic air and frigid breeze will be brutal. We hit 1 degree Monday in Des Moines, but the wind chill stayed well below zero. It'll be -7 when caucuses start at 7 p.m. and will feel closer to -30.

Des Moines high, low temperatures each caucus day since 1972

  • Feb. 3, 2020: 36°/29°
  • Feb. 1, 2016: 47°/27°
  • Jan. 3, 2012: 40°/10°
  • Jan. 3, 2008: 30°/4°
  • Jan. 19, 2004: 16°* (Coldest high)/2°
  • Jan. 24, 2000: 41°/5°
  • Feb. 12, 1996: 30°/22°
  • Feb. 10, 1992: 44°/24°
  • Feb. 8, 1988: 36°/10°
  • Feb. 20, 1984: 49°/22°
  • Jan. 21, 1980: 33°/24°
  • Jan. 19, 1976: 42°/7°
  • Jan. 24, 1972: 25°/-4°* (Coldest low)

Coldest caucus: Will Iowa’s deep freeze influence turnout for the caucuses?

The weather has also impacted major roads throughout the state. ÌÇĐÄvlog's Scott Carpenter hit the road early Monday morning to take a closer look at conditions. Watch the video below for more.

Caucus day has arrived

ÌÇĐÄvlog's Alyssa Gomez was at the Iowa Events Center bright and early Monday morning to report from the caucus media headquarters.

WHY IS IOWA FIRST? Here's how Iowa caucuses became first in the nation

What is a caucus?

A political caucus is a gathering of people with a shared interest or goal. The Iowa caucuses are a series of local meetings held throughout the state where participants conduct party business and usually indicate their preference for a presidential nominee to represent the party on the November ballot. It’s also the first step in a months-long process to select people to serve as delegates to the national party conventions this summer.

How are caucuses different from primaries?

One of the main differences between caucuses and primaries is the amount of time allotted for voting to occur and the methods by which people can vote. In a primary, people can show up at the polls and cast ballots throughout Election Day, from the early morning until polls close in the evening. They have the option of casting an absentee ballot if they can’t make it to the polls on Election Day, and in some states, people may vote before Election Day. The Iowa caucuses, on the other hand, are held in the evening and voters must attend in person in order to participate, except in a few isolated instances. Caucuses are run by political parties, whereas primaries are usually (but not always) run by the state.

How will the Republican caucuses work in 2024?

There will be two main agenda items at every Republican caucus site: holding a binding vote for the party’s presidential nominee and electing delegates to attend county conventions, which is the next step in the multi-tiered process of electing delegates to attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this summer.

The binding presidential vote functions essentially like a party-run primary, only with very limited polling hours and no accommodation for absentee voting, except for a tiny handful of overseas and military voters. There are speeches on behalf of various candidates before the voting and a variety of party business after the vote. Individual caucus chairs are allowed to exercise some discretion in how to conduct the vote, but the voting is done by secret ballot and there is no set list of candidates. Voters must be given the option to vote for any candidate they choose. In the past, some caucus sites have pre-printed the names of major candidates and provided a write-in option, but typically, voters vote by writing the name of a candidate on a blank slip of paper.

There is no walking around the caucus room to form candidate preference groups. That voting method was a feature of Democratic caucuses from 1972 to 2020 but is no longer in use by either party in 2024.

The Republican caucuses will convene statewide at 7 p.m. local time (8 p.m. EST), and begin with the election of a caucus chair and secretary. Only registered Republicans may participate in the caucuses and only in their designated home precincts. However, Iowans may register or change their party affiliation on caucus day. Voters must turn 18 by the November general election in order to participate.

Watch: Political analyst Marc Sandalow weighs in on importance of Iowa caucuses

Marc Sandalow is a political analyst and the San Francisco Chronicle's former Washington Bureau chief. He talked to ÌÇĐÄvlog about the importance of the Iowa caucuses and what he sees as the two biggest stories from Monday night: if Trump meets expectations and wins Iowa by double-digits, and if Nikki Haley really has passed Ron DeSantis.

Watch our full interview with Sandalow:

Iowa Republican leader predicts ‘robust’ caucus turnout

Iowa Republican Party Chair Jeff Kaufmann is feeling more optimistic about caucus turnout than he was a few days ago.

“If you would have asked me this and the caucuses would have been two days ago, I would have said we would have significantly less turnout,” Kaufmann told reporters at a briefing hosted by Bloomberg on Sunday.

Clear skies Sunday that helped create conditions for crews to clear the roads bolstered his confidence. He said he was more concerned about icy roads than about low temperatures, which he said Iowans were accustomed to.

Without putting an exact number on it, Kauffman said, “I think it’s going to be a robust turnout.”

Coldest caucus: Will Iowa’s deep freeze influence turnout for the caucuses?

IOWA CAUCUS LINKS:

Trump urges voters not to let deep freeze — of anything else — keep them from caucusing

Heading into the caucuses, much of the focus has been on Donald Trump’s strong standing. The surprise may ultimately be more about the turnout and who would benefit from the brutal winter storm limiting participation.

After all, the caucus isn’t built for convenience. Those who participate must venture out after dark to one of 1,567 locations, almost always requiring a drive. The roads will be icy, the wind chill will be dozens of degrees below zero. Iowans are a famously hardy stock, but even they may flinch at venturing out in those conditions.

"Brave the weather and go out and save America," Trump said during a rally Sunday at Simpson College. "... You can't sit home. If you're sick as a dog you say, 'Darlin, I've got to make it.' Even if you vote and then pass away, it's worth it."

WATCH: ÌÇĐÄvlog chief political reporter Amanda Rooker explains the Iowa caucuses

Iowa’s Christian conservatives follow their faith when voting, and some say it leads them to Trump

Pastor Charles Hundley opened his worship service on a cold Sunday earlier this month in northeast Des Moines with a prayer that made it clear one endorsement above all will matter in Iowa’s caucuses.

“We thank you for the upcoming election, Lord — or caucus, as we call it in Iowa,” said Hundley, speaking from the sanctuary of his evangelical Christian church in his slight Texas drawl as his parishioners bowed their heads.

“It doesn’t matter what our opinion is,” he went on. “It’s really what’s your opinion that matters. But you’ve given us the privilege of being able to exercise a beautiful gift. The gift of vote. We thank you for that.”

While Hundley stops short of suggesting to his parishioners which candidate divine guidance should lead them to support, he is among more than 300 pastors and other faith leaders who’ve been described as supporters by former President Donald Trump’s campaign. It’s a message that some members of Hundley’s First Church of God have taken to heart, saying their faith informs their intention to caucus for Trump.

Last Iowa Poll before caucuses

The final Des Moines Register/NBC News poll before Monday night’s caucuses found former President Donald Trump maintaining a formidable lead, supported by nearly half of likely caucusgoers. Nikki Haley, the former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor, and Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, remain locked in a close battle for second.

Watch Sunday's episode of ÌÇĐÄvlog's Close Up

COFFEE WITH THE CANDIDATES: All of our in-depth interviews with 2024 Republican presidential candidates


Trump on the record: Casey's makes good pizza

Donald Trump handed out boxes of Casey's pizza at Waukee Fire Department Sunday, then asked for a slice of his own, saying: “This is good pizza, by the way."

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump eats pizza with fire fighters at Waukee Fire Department in Waukee, Iowa, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump eats pizza with fire fighters at Waukee Fire Department in Waukee, Iowa, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

DeSantis dons an overcoat days after leaving his at home

Ron DeSantis is wearing a winter coat again.

The Florida governor was bundled up at a campaign event in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, days after he left his coat at home in the Sunshine State when he was there delivering his State of the State address Tuesday.

“This is my winter coat. I have not worn this since I’ve been governor once,” DeSantis said in Iowa.

He told a crowd at a construction contractors convention in Des Moines on Wednesday that his staff was hustling his coat from Tallahassee.

Important dates for 2024 presidential election

Iowa caucuses: Jan. 15

Super Tuesday: March 5, 2024

Republican National Convention: July 15-18 in Milwaukee

Democratic National Convention: Aug. 19-22 in Chicago

Election day: Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024

Who’s running for president in 2024? Here’s a rundown of the candidates

How will the Democratic caucuses work in 2024?

Iowa Democrats had to completely redo their caucus and presidential delegate selection process after their 2020 caucuses devolved into chaos and failed to produce a clear, undisputed winner.

This year, Iowa Democrats will still hold caucuses on the same day as Republicans, but unlike in previous years, caucus-goers will not vote or indicate their pick to represent the party on the November presidential ballot. Instead, they will vote for a party nominee through a mail-in voting process that begins Jan. 12 and concludes on March 5.

The Democratic caucuses on Jan. 15 will elect delegates to the county conventions in March, which is the next step in selecting the individuals to serve as delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August. National convention delegates will be required to vote for a presidential nominee in accordance with the results of the mail-in voting process.

Do the winners in Iowa and New Hampshire usually win the party’s nomination?

Not necessarily. In 2020, Biden didn’t win either Iowa or New Hampshire, but his campaign got a reset in South Carolina and he went on to the Democratic nomination and the White House.

In 2016, Donald Trump lost Iowa but won New Hampshire, similar to fellow Republican Mitt Romney in 2012.

In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama won Iowa, but lost New Hampshire. Republican John McCain lost Iowa that year but won New Hampshire.

The last candidate to win both in Iowa and New Hampshire and go on to the White House was Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1976, although he technically placed second in Iowa, behind “uncommitted.”

Iowa Republican caucus winners and who became GOP nominee

2020

  • Trump ran for reelection

2016

  • Iowa winner: Ted Cruz
  • Eventual nominee: Donald Trump

2012

  • Iowa winner: Rick Santorum
  • Eventual nominee: Mitt Romney

2008

  • Iowa winner: Mike Huckabee
  • Eventual nominee: John McCain

2004

  • Bush ran for reelection

2000

  • Iowa winner: George W. Bush
  • Eventual nominee: George W. Bush

1996

  • Iowa winner: Bob Dole
  • Eventual nominee: Bob Dole

1992

  • Bush ran for reelection

1988

  • Iowa winner: Bob Dole
  • Eventual nominee: George H.W. Bush

1984

  • Reagan ran for reelection

1980

  • Iowa winner: George H.W. Bush
  • Eventual nominee: Ronald Reagan

1976

  • Iowa winner: Gerald Ford
  • Eventual nominee: Gerald Ford

When will we know which candidate has enough delegates to be the party’s nominee?

We will have to see how the primaries play out.

Keep an eye on Super Tuesday, March 5. While there won’t yet be enough delegates on the table to clinch the nomination, that is the night with the largest pot of delegates, where Republicans in 16 states and territories will vote for president.

It might take until May or June for one candidate to secure enough votes to win his or her party’s nomination. The last presidential primaries occur on June 4.

An inside look at the different places thousands of Iowans will meet for the 2024 caucuses

ÌÇĐÄvlog caught up with local county GOP leaders to see what preparation looks like in the weeks and days before the Iowa caucuses. Take a look at how the caucuses come together:

Past Iowa caucus results

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