Former US president Donald Trump on Monday scored a record-setting win in the Iowa caucuses with his rivals languishing far behind, a victory that affirmed his grip on the Republican presidential nomination.
In what was the lowest-turnout caucus in 25 years, 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 win in 1988.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis finished a distant second, just ahead of former ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.
Photo: AFP
The results left Trump with a tighter grip on the Republican nomination, although it could take several more months for anyone to formally become the party’s standard bearer.
The magnitude of Trump’s victory posed significant questions for both DeSantis and Haley. Neither candidate appeared poised to exit the race, although they leave Iowa struggling to claim making much progress in trying to become Trump’s strongest challenger.
Having repeatedly pledged vengeance against his political opponents, 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,” Trump said. “We’re going to come together. It’s going to happen soon.”
The Republican contest moves swiftly to New Hampshire, which is to hold its primary on Tuesday next week. A shrinking field is to compete there after conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy suspended his campaign following a disappointing fourth-placed finish and endorsed Trump.
DeSantis yesterday first headed to South Carolina, a conservative stronghold where the Feb. 24 contest could prove pivotal. He was to head to New Hampshire later in the day.
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 might have to manage in the months ahead, he was expected to be in court in New York yesterday. A jury was poised to consider whether he should pay additional damages to a columnist who last year won a US$5 million jury award against Trump for sex abuse and defamation. It is just one of multiple legal challenges facing the former president.
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