With 95% of the votes tallied, Former President Donald Trump on Monday triumphed in the first 2024 Republican presidential primary in Iowa, solidifying his rule of the party despite grappling with numerous criminal and civil charges. The victory – 51% of the votes, compared with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ 21.2%, and former UN Envoy Nikki Haley’s 19.1%, marks a significant step in Trump’s bid for a rematch against Democratic President Joe Biden.
Iowan Republicans love Trump. Close to two-thirds of caucus-goers said they believe the 2020 election was stolen from him, and more than 60% said Trump should be president even if he is convicted of a crime.
It was the least attended caucus in Iowa in the past 25 years, as diehard Republicans and Democrats braved the life-threatening cold and perilous driving conditions to gather and vote in schools, churches, and community centers throughout the state. Despite the challenging weather, those who participated handed Trump a commanding victory of 30 points, give or take a point, a margin of victory that surpassed the previous record of close to 13 points set by Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kansas) back in 1988.
Despite his previous promise of vengeance against his political rivals, on Monday night, Trump delivered a message of unity in his victory speech: “We want to come together, whether it’s Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative. We’re going to come together. It’s going to happen soon,” he said.
Trump also declared in his victory speech: “We’re going to have a deportation level that we haven’t seen in this country for a long time, since Dwight Eisenhower.”
The next primary vote is in New Hampshire on January 23, followed by a Democratic primary on February 3 in South Carolina, and a Republican on February 24.
Nevada Democrats will hold a primary on February 6, while Nevada Republicans will caucus on February 8.
