Donald Trump wins Iowa Caucus; DeSantis and Haley battle for second

Reporter: Claire Galt Writer: Paul Dolan
Published: Updated:
iowa caucus
Snow plow in Iowa. CREDIT: WINK News

Former President Donald Trump has won the Iowa caucus.

The projection for the former president came fast, just about 30 minutes after the caucuses began, Monday night.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley are battling it out for second.

There’s also some anger about how fast the networks called the caucuses for Trump.

DeSantis campaign communications director Andrew Romeo tweeted this statement saying, “It is absolutely outrageous that the media would participate in election interference by calling the race before tens of thousands of Iowans even had a chance to vote. The media is in the tank for Trump, and this is the most egregious example yet.”

WINK talked with a volunteer who went to a Des Moines precinct to speak on behalf of the governor. Before he got the chance, he saw the race had been called.

The Iowa Caucuses were held Monday night at 8 p.m. Instead of going to the polls, voters gathered in precincts to hear speeches from candidates’ representatives and then choose their favorite.

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DeSantis room. CREDIT: WINK News

WINK News reporter Claire Galt is the only local SWFL reporter in Iowa covering both Florida candidates, former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

The governor has been “all in” on Iowa for weeks. He’s talking like a candidate who knows something the rest of us do not.

The former President is confident he will win. He was even joking with supporters on Sunday when the dangerously cold temperatures were brought up by saying if you vote and then pass away, it’s worth it because you’ll be saving your country.

There’s no question Trump loves to walk into a friendly room.

Iowa Caucus
CREDIT: WINK News

Way ahead in the polls, the former president didn’t arrive in Iowa until late Saturday night and only made one campaign stop on Sunday. He asked a packed room of supporters in Indianola to do him a favor.

“Brave the weather and go out and save America because that’s what you’re doing,” said Trump.

DeSantis believes he’s the candidate to save the nation… from Trump.

He admitted the former president has a lot of support but told reporters in Dubuque the polls got him all wrong.

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DeSantis 2024 sign. CREDIT: WINK News

“We’re going to do well. I like being underestimated,” said DeSantis. “I like being the underdog. I think that that’s better. I think all my supporters like that.”

Nikki Haley calls Trump and DeSantis “the boys.” During her rally in Ames, the former United Nations ambassador under Trump made it clear those two “boys,” in particular, could not win the general election.

“Republicans have lost the last seven out of eight popular votes for president,” said Haley. “That’s nothing to be proud of. We should wanna win the majority of Americans, but the only way we’re gonna win the majority of Americans is if we have a new generational leader.”

The brutal weather kept most people away from church on Sunday, but the First Church of the Open Bible pastor in West Des Moines welcomed a dozen people to his service, encouraging them all to caucus Monday night.

His congregants were split between Trump and DeSantis.

“DeSantis, because he has really striven to represent evangelical values,” said the pastor.

Iowa Caucus
Cold temperatures. CREDIT: WINK NEWS

Forecasters warned the weather was “life-threatening,” with below-zero temperatures and whipping winds. When a reporter asked the governor if he feared Monday’s results, he didn’t answer.

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