Former President Donald Trump secured a commanding victory in the Iowa caucus, surpassing his nearest competitor by approximately 30 points and establishing a new record for victory margins in the Iowa Republican caucus.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis trailed significantly in second place, closely followed by former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy withdrew from the presidential race and threw his support behind Trump after finishing fourth.
With 95% of the ballots counted, Trump’s lead appeared substantial, garnering around 51% of caucusgoers.
Notably, he secured victories in 98 out of the state’s 99 counties, as projected by NBC News.
As the night unfolded, the prospects for any Trump challenger diminished, solidifying his grip on the Republican base.
In a victory speech delivered in Des Moines, Trump, acknowledging the anticipated outcome of the primary and his nomination as the Republican candidate, called for unity.
He even offered a semblance of praise for his rivals, underscoring the prevailing strength of his position within the party.
Trump asserted, “It’s time now, for everybody, our country, to come together,” addressing a crowd of his supporters after NBC News confidently projected his easy win in the Iowa Republican presidential caucuses.
“I want to congratulate Ron and Nikki for having a good time together,” he said of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former United Nations Amb. Nikki Haley. Trump noted that the second-place results were still yet to be determined.
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Trump proceeded to outline a broad range of policies and issues he intended to tackle if granted a second term in the White House. Among these priorities were plans to “seal up” the U.S.-Mexico border and “rebuild our cities.”
Revisiting the unfounded conspiracy theory surrounding the alleged rigging of the 2020 election, Trump pledged to address election concerns and promote the adoption of paper ballots.
He showed no inclination towards magnanimity for President Joe Biden, widely seen as his potential opponent in the upcoming 2024 general election, labeling him as the worst president ever to occupy the office.
Sharing the Des Moines stage with Trump were North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a former Republican primary competitor who had endorsed Trump a day earlier, along with various family members and supporters.