Trump seeks knockout punch as Iowa delivers first verdict on Republican race

Former United States President Donald Trump | Credits: Reuters
Former United States President Donald Trump | Credits: Reuters

United States: Donald Trump is the clear favorite to defeat his opponents and establish an early claim to the Republican presidential nominee when Iowans face bone-chilling weather on Monday to cast the first votes in the 2024 campaign.

As reported by Reuters, the former president’s dominating position has converted Iowa’s first-in-the-nation battle into a race for second place, with both Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley hoping for a decisive second-place result to emerge as Trump’s primary challenger.

A dominating victory for Trump in Iowa would reinforce his claim that he is the only Republican candidate capable of facing Democratic President Joe Biden in the November election. It would also bode difficulty for his opponents, particularly DeSantis, who has staked his campaign’s future on Monday’s Iowa caucus, pouring money into the Midwestern state and canvassing all 99 counties.

Critical Stakes for DeSantis 

On Saturday, Iowa Pollster published a study according to which DeSantis has fallen behind Haley, with 16% of Republican voters in the state to her 20%, and Trump is far ahead at 48%. A strong second-place finish for either Haley or DeSantis would reinforce the impression that Trump’s nomination is far from certain.

Republican Ron DeSantis | Credits: Getty Images

A third-place performance might be deadly to DeSantis’ chances as the campaign moves to the more moderate state of New Hampshire, where Republicans will select their nominee eight days after Iowa. Polls show Haley reducing Trump’s lead, but the Florida governor remains well behind.

Both DeSantis and Haley expressed confidence that they would outperform predictions on Monday but were careful not to declare victory. “I have a record of doing well as the underdog … we’re gonna do well,” DeSantis told Fox News on Sunday.

“The only numbers that matter are the ones that we’re going up, and everybody else went down,” Haley told the network. “And that shows that we’re doing the right thing.

Mad Supporters

The life-threatening cold blanketing the Midwest, which has already prompted the campaigns to cancel many events over the weekend, may reduce turnout on Monday. Unlike a typical election, Iowa’s caucuses compel voters to assemble in person on Monday evening in small groups at churches, schools, and community centers to cast secret ballots after hearing remarks from campaign officials.

“Brave the weather and go out and save America,” Trump said at a rally in Indianola.

US former President Donald Trump | Credits: Reuters

The National Weather Service warned that in some sections of the state, the wind chill temperature might drop to minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 43 degrees Celsius).

Trump’s hold on his most faithful supporters may give him an advantage if the frigid temperatures persuade some voters to stay home. According to an Iowa poll released on Saturday, Trump had many more supporters who were “extremely” or “very” excited about caucusing on Monday.

“Trump creates his own turnout,” said Brad Boustead, an officer with the Republican Party in Urbandale, Iowa, who attended Trump’s rally. “The Trump people aren’t going to be afraid of the weather.”

Because of its central position on the campaign calendar, Iowa has always played an outsized role in presidential races. Candidates frequently spend months traveling over the state and introducing themselves to voters, and many campaigns have stopped after disappointing results.

As per the report by Reuters, Trump has maintained a solid lead in national polls despite four different indictments, including state and federal prosecutions stemming from his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden, who will face the Republican nominee in November’s general election.

Voter Fraud led to the victory of Biden, Trump continuously claimed without any evidence.