Trump wins Iowa Caucus in just 30 minutes, as Haley edges ahead of DeSantis
Story by Jeremiah Hassel
The Mirror US
The first votes of the evening have been released as the Iowa Caucus, and to no one's surprise, former President Donald Trump is slated to win most of the state's delegates, bringing him one step closer to earning the coveted Republican nomination for the presidency.
The Iowa Caucus, which was scheduled for 7 p.m. Central Time on Monday, is the first event of the presidential primary season, and it will provide the public with a first glimpse into voter opinions on this year's Republican candidates — which include the businessman, former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, current Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
The former president's lead remained a steady 50 points ahead of Haley for the first hour or so before slowly shrinking. Haley has been slowly edging ahead of DeSantis. As of about 7:45 p.m. Central Time, Trump has just under 60% of the vote, while Haley has just over 17% and DeSantis has about 16.5%, according to numbers reported by CNN. Fox News shows DeSantis edging Haley, by around 0.3%. The numbers are constantly fluctuating.
Trump's lead was evident after the first 30 minutes of the caucuses, though Haley's took a while to manifest. Both she and DeSantis are well ahead of Ramaswamy, who only boasts just over 7% of support. Hutchinson has not received any votes.
The next primary event is scheduled in New Hampshire on Jan. 23, and that one, along with the South Carolina primaries on Feb. 3, will likely predict who will win the party's nomination overall. Haley has the chance to pull ahead of Trump in New Hampshire, as her campaign has largely been focused on the mostly liberal state, flexing her status as one of the more moderate members of the Republican party.
Related video: Iowa caucuses: Litmus test for GOP candidates, Haley & DeSantis in close battle for second place (WION)
Voting has begun in Iowa caucuses.
WION
Iowa caucuses: Litmus test for GOP candidates, Haley & DeSantis in close battle for second place
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Regardless, whoever wins second place in Iowa has a much higher chance of edging Trump in future caucus and primary events, though he is projected to win them all and eventually become the Republican presidential nominee. Polls have revealed that many of his supporters believe he should have won the 2020 election despite the clear victory for incumbent Democrat President Joe Biden, and others have said his pending criminal indictments and federal charges don't disqualify him or wouldn't make him a bad president.
The caucus took place amid brutal cold and snowy conditions, with slick roads slippery from ice conjured from a massive snowstorm and arctic blast over the weekend. Temperatures dipped well below zero, hovering around negative 7 degrees Fahrenheit in many places, with wind chills bringing temperatures down to the negative 20s.
Trump supporters were largely unphased, however, lining up to take part in the voting process hours and even days before the caucuses were set to begin. Trump's campaign brought buses for heat where those in line could go to warm up for a bit, pictures and video taken at multiple caucus locations that went viral on X, formerly known as Twitter, reveal.
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