Despite facing 91 criminal charges, disseminating false claims about stolen elections, and even employing Nazi slogans, Republican voters remained indifferent to these issues.
Their idol for most, Donald Trump, achieved a historic and sweeping victory at the Iowa caucus, seemingly securing a dominant position in the Republican primaries for the anticipated 2024 battle for the Oval Office. Remarkably, this success unfolded at the very first contest, with major TV networks declaring him the winner within just 30 minutes.
Iowa traditionally serves as the starting point for the five-month-long primaries across all 50 U.S. states, where both major parties determine their White House candidates for the November general elections. While the Democrats choice seems a formality with President Joe Biden running for re-election, the voters in Iowa handed Trump a decisive landslide win.
The “Make America Great Again” populist triumphed over his competitors, winning 98 of the 99 Iowa counties. Securing 51 percent of the vote, he left his rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, trailing with 30 percent, while the previous surprise contender Nikki Haley managed 19 percent.
In Trump’s victory speech, he unequivocally portrayed himself already as a White House candidate, calling for unity within his party and emphasizing the need to focus on the upcoming general election showdown with Biden. Despite facing alleged crimes in four criminal proceedings, Trump’s political strength has seemingly been bolstered as his supporter base rallied behind him.
The question arises: can he be stopped? It appears unlikely, with his two remaining rivals facing a challenging task.
- Haley may have a chance in the upcoming New Hampshire primaries on January 23. However, most voters within today’s “Trump’s Republican Party” perceive the former U.N. Ambassador as too moderate.
- DeSantis, aiming to emulate a younger Trump, faced defeat in Iowa but secured second place, allowing his campaign to continue, at least for now.
- And candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has already dropped out after the Iowa results.
The current trajectory points toward a potential “rematch” between Biden and Trump, a prospect met with dread by a vast majority of Americans.
The Iowa Caucus turnout was approximately half of that in 2016, influenced by freezing temperatures and Trump’s prior enormous lead in the polls.
As Trump embarks on an unusual and busy year, winning the Iowa caucus is juxtaposed with his New York courtroom appearance to face charges in the civil trial brought by E. Jean Carroll, a former journalist who accused Trump of rape (charges he denies).
This offers a preview of how Trump will navigate between the campaign trail and various courthouses.
