Donald Trump has clinched the Republican presidential caucuses in Iowa despite the state being gripped by its chilliest weather in half a century.
The Associated Press (AP) declared Trump the winner of the Iowa caucuses on Monday night. His lead was irrefutable, with early returns and the results of AP VoteCast cementing his victory. Trump’s dominance was evident across all demographics and geographic regions in the state.
Trump secured 70% of the vote, with Ron DeSantis in second place at 15% and Nikki Haley trailing at 8%. Rural and urban areas exhibited support for Trump, underscoring his widespread appeal.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that the 2024 Iowa caucuses marked the coldest in the state’s 50-year history. Des Moines saw a high of 1 degree, while Waterloo faced a high 1 degree below zero, approximately 15 degrees colder than the previous coldest caucuses on record.
The NWS in Des Moines highlighted that the 1972 caucuses in Des Moines experienced a high of 25 and a low of minus 4, while the coldest in Waterloo occurred in 2000, with a high of 26 and a low of minus 11.
Why It Matters: In the lead-up to the caucuses, Trump rallied his supporters to battle the adverse weather conditions. Despite the cancellation of three out of his four planned rallies due to blizzards, Trump urged his followers to actively participate in the voting process during a rally at Simpson College. Election polls suggest that Trump’s popularity among GOP voters is notably higher than that of other candidates, largely due to his significant lead in national primary polls.
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