Former President Donald Trump clinched a significant victory in the Iowa caucuses, marking a strong start in the 2024 Republican presidential nominating race. [Source]
The result, announced at 8:31 pm ET by the Fox News Decision Desk, confirmed Trump’s enduring appeal among the GOP base.
Trump’s victory, with a remarkable 51% of the vote set a historical record for the largest margin in the history of Iowa’s Republican presidential caucuses.
“It really is an honor that, minutes after, they’ve announced I’ve won—against very credible competition — great competition, actually,” Trump told Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a formidable contender, secured a distant second place with 21.2% support, followed closely by former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley at 19.1%. [Source]
DeSantis’s speech to his supporters highlighted the adversities his campaign faced, stating, “Because of your support, in spite of all of that that they threw at us, everyone against us, we’ve got our ticket punched out of Iowa.”
Haley, addressing her supporters, framed the race as a two-person contest between herself and Trump, asserting, “I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race.”
Vivek Ramaswamy, a first-time candidate and multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur, suspended his campaign after finishing fourth with 7.7% of the vote. In a show of solidarity, Ramaswamy endorsed Trump, emphasizing the need for an “America First candidate” in the race.
Trump’s campaign’s senior adviser, Chris LaCivita, highlighted their focus on grassroots support, stating, “Our focus and our premium has been on people.. and we think it’s going to bear fruit in a big way.” Veteran Iowa-based Republican strategist Jimmy Centers noted Trump’s widespread appeal, saying, “You look at northwest Iowa – the most conservative part of the state. Evangelical voters. He won. You look at suburban population centers. He won.”
Despite the early projection of Trump’s victory, which occurred while ballots were still being cast, the DeSantis camp expressed frustration. Andrew Romeo, DeSantis’s spokesman, termed the early call “absolutely outrageous,” accusing the media of bias towards Trump.
In his victory speech, Trump thanked his rivals for their efforts and called for unity. “We want to come together — whether it’s Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative,” Trump expressed, signaling a desire for national cohesion.
The Iowa caucuses, an early indicator of a candidate’s potential success, have set the stage for the upcoming primaries. With Trump’s commanding lead, the focus now shifts to New Hampshire, where Haley and DeSantis will look to narrow the gap in the 2024 presidential race.