DES MOINES, Iowa — Former President Donald Trump is anticipated to emerge victorious in the Iowa caucus on Monday night, solidifying his position as the undisputed front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination.
Despite numerous ongoing caucus meetings throughout the Hawkeye State, Trump was declared the winner by media outlets, with fewer than 10 precincts reporting their vote tallies to the Iowa Republican Party.
With less than 0.5% of the expected vote counted, Trump garnered an impressive 70% support, leaving Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis trailing at 15%, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley at 8%, and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 6%.
If the early indications hold, the 77-year-old is poised to achieve the most significant margin of victory in the modern history of the Iowa caucus, dating back to 1972. Additionally, he is set to become the first Republican candidate to secure over 50% support in a contested caucus.
This unexpected turn of events dealt a particular blow to DeSantis, who heavily invested in a ground game operation that proved unsuccessful in overcoming the former president’s popularity among Iowa voters, especially after Trump faced four criminal indictments starting in March of the previous year.
Despite the outcome, DeSantis expressed his determination to stay in the race, even if he were to finish third behind Trump and Haley.
The Florida governor was slated to fly to South Carolina for an early Saturday morning event before heading north to New Hampshire for an evening gathering.
Haley, avoiding specific expectations for her performance, suggested she would be content with a top-three finish before transitioning to New Hampshire. There, the primary is more moderate and less dominated by evangelicals, reflecting her home state of South Carolina.
Trump’s campaign had strategized for an overwhelming victory in the first-in-the-nation caucus, unveiling a “10 for Trump” approach. This strategy relied on caucus captains to recruit new or irregular participants to throw their support behind the former president.
The support paid off handsomely, evident at a West Des Moines caucus attended by a Post reporter, where hats and stickers promoting the former president were ubiquitous.
On the coldest caucus night on record, Iowa Republicans braved snow, icy roads, and a wind chill that felt like negative-30 degrees Fahrenheit.
With Monday’s results in, Trump and his rivals have little time to reflect as the Republican primary calendar shifts to New Hampshire and the Jan. 23 first-in-the-nation primary. Polls indicate Haley narrowing a double-digit gap in support.
{Matzav.com}
