Trump wins Iowa, Fox News Decision Desk predicts DeSantis will take second place

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum announced Sunday that he is backing former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Burgum announced his presidential nominee launch on June 7, 2023, and the end to his bid for president on Dec. 4, 2023, just six months after he kicked off his campaign.

On Sunday, Burgum addressed an audience, "Four years ago, I was speaking on behalf of President Trump in Sioux City, Iowa."

Burgum added, "And today, I'm here to do something that none of the other presidential primary candidates have done and that's endorse Donald J. Trump for President of the United States of America."

In a statement and video released on Dec. 4, Burgum emphasized that he and his wife "are deeply grateful for each and every person who supported us with their ideas, prayers, advocacy, encouragement and enthusiasm. Kathryn and I will always remain committed to fighting for the people who make our nation so exceptional." 

In ending his bid, Burgum emphasized that "while this primary process has shaken my trust in many media organizations and political party institutions, it has only strengthened my trust in America."

Burgum also joined Trump on stage in Iowa Monday night after the former president convincingly won the Iowa caucuses.

OFFICIAL-POLLS

Fox News Voter Analysis: Trump dominates Iowa caucuses

Former President Trump came out of the Iowa caucuses victorious Monday night followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in second place and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in third.

Former President Trump notched a commanding win in the Iowa GOP caucuses, more than doubling the 24% support he received in 2016. Caucusgoers braved subzero temperatures to deliver a resounding victory for Trump, whose 30-point win was the largest for a contested presidential caucus in modern Iowa history.

That’s according to our Fox News Voter Analysis of Iowa Republicans.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis edged out former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for second place. The result was a much-needed boost for DeSantis, who visited every county and invested significant time and resources in the Hawkeye State.

Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy finished far behind with single-digit support, dropping out and endorsing Trump as the results became clear.

Read the breakdown of Fox News' voter analysis of Iowa Republicans here.

The Fox News Polling Unit contributed to this post.

iStock

The caucus system is built around citizens showing up in community centers to debate and discuss who they wish to vote for before casting votes to elect delegates who decide the winner. This system has been criticized as unrepresentative as not everyone can take multiple evenings out of their week to show up and engage in the primary system. To respond to this, Democrats in states like Iowa and New Hampshire have allowed citizens to phone into the caucus and cast their vote remotely.

A telecaucus is a virtual caucus where Americans can submit their votes by phone. It was designed to make it convenient for voters to cast their ballots if unable to do so in person for a number of reasons. The option to vote by phone is secure, and many Americans take advantage of the opportunity to vote this way, including members of the military who are deployed during caucus night.

Voters casting through telecaucus still need to confirm their identities by phone before voting.

The Republican Party of Iowa, who runs the caucus system, has not implemented a “Telecaucus” system and voters who wish to vote must show up in person with government-issued ID.

Fox News' Gabriele Regalbuto contributed to this report.

AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

Shortly after a hot mic insult against her, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley confirmed she spoke with former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie after he suspended his campaign, but she didn’t ask for his endorsement. 

"I did talk to him this morning and just told him I appreciated his … commitment to this race,” Haley said in a Fox News interview. “But no, we didn't ask him for an endorsement."

When asked about the hot mic insult, Haley said "I didn't know about the open mic comments, but I do wish Chris well, it's personal to get in a race. It's personal to get out of a race. So, I know how tough that must be. But at the same time, I'm not like the fellas. Politics is not personal for me.”

Prior to his speech to end his campaign in front of a crowd of people in Windham, New Hampshire, Christie was caught on a hot mic saying Haley is "gonna get smoked," among other jabs. He also touched on how much both Haley and DeSantis allegedly spent on advertising during the 2024 GOP presidential race thus far.

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and Gabriele Regalbuto contributed to this report.

Former President Trump declared it is "time" for America to "come together" after winning big at the 2024 Iowa Caucus.

Trump made the declaration during his Monday remarks after winning the famous Iowa Caucus, with the former president saying he believes that "this is time now for everybody, our country, to come together" whether a person is "a Republican or a Democrat or liberal or conservative."

"If it would be so nice if we could come together and straighten out the world and straighten out the problems and straighten out all of the death and destruction that we're witnessing, that's practically never been like this," Trump said on Monday.

"It's just so important. And I want to make that a very big part of our message," the former president continued. "We're going to come together. It's going to happen soon too."

Trump gave kudos to fellow GOP presidential contenders Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley "for having a good a good time together" adding, "We're all having a good time together."

"And I think they both actually did very well. I really do," Trump said. "I think they both did very well."

Trump noted the lack of a clear second-place finisher between DeSantis and Haley at the time of his remarks, and congratulated entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who dropped out of the race on Monday night after the caucus, "because he did a hell of a job."

"He came from zero and he's got a big percent, probably eight percent, almost eight percent. And that's an amazing job. They all did," Trump said. "They they're very smart, very smart people, very capable people."

Poll on who received the Evangelical vote

Evangelical Christians are a sizeable group in Iowa. DeSantis courted this group, and was even endorsed by influential Iowa evangelical Bob Vander Plaats. But they love Trump. DeSantis is 40 points behind him and only 5 points ahead of Haley. 

Trump's Iowa Bloc

Former President Trump did especially well with those who describe themselves as MAGA supporters, with over three-quarters supporting him. About six-in-ten non-college educated, rural caucusgoers, and white evangelicals also go for Trump – and even half of those under age 30.  

Iowa Republicans share the issues most important to them

Immigration is the top concern for Republicans in Iowa. So, who do these voters go for? Two-thirds of them support Trump. 

Top issues for Iowa Republicans

What percent of Iowa Republicans consider themselves 'MAGA'

Former President Trump had a good night in Iowa, thanks in part to a lot of MAGA supporters. More than 6 in 10 caucus voters consider themselves MAGA, and the vast majority of those – close to 8 in 10 – back Trump. 

GEORGE FREY/AFP via Getty Images

Each state in the Union is tasked with conducting its own primary election system.

While most of the country operates on a primary system — where individuals show up at a polling location to cast a private vote or sends in a mail-in ballot — a handful of states hold caucuses.

During a caucus, citizens show up in private homes, precinct offices, or a local community center to debate and discuss their votes prior to electing delegates to cast votes for a candidate at a broader convention. 

Ultimately, there is no rule stating whether a state must use a primary or caucus system, but a number of caucus states have switched to primaries in recent years.

Proponents of the caucus system argue that it encourages discussion, debate, and entices candidates to spend more time with voters in the state, while opponents argue that it's needlessly complicated and unrepresentative.

Former President Donald Trump will address supporters as he is projected to win big in the Iowa caucuses.

Trump spoke to Fox News Digital shortly after the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump won the Iowa Caucuses. 

Trump takes the lion's share of the state's 40 delegates in the first-in-the-nation primary contest. The result solidifies his place as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination. 

"I feel great," Trump told Fox News Digital. "I am greatly honored by such an early call."

Nikki Haley gives a speech to caucusgoers at a caucus site on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa. She spoke just ahead of Donald Trump Jr., who advocated that caucusgoers support his father for the 2024 presidential nomination. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)

To finish second, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has to do really well in the cities and places where there are more college educated voters.

There’s no better example than Johnson County, home to both Iowa City and the University of Iowa.

With an estimated 88% of the vote in, Haley has 34% of the vote, or roughly 3 points behind Trump. DeSantis is at 21%.

We don’t know yet whether that’s enough for her.

As with all live data, be aware that these margins are likely to change as more vote is counted.

The two candidates are tied for second place behind former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley are essentially tied at 10 p.m. ET for second place in the Iowa caucuses.

DeSantis is slightly overperforming some of the pre-election polling.

This could be because of his turnout operation, but the race for second place is too early to call.

Fox News' Decision Desk has projected that former President Donald Trump will win the caucuses.

House Republican Conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik of New York called on the other GOP presidential candidates to drop out of the race following former President Trump's projected Iowa Caucus win.

Stefanik released the statement calling to cull the candidate field following Trump's victory projection during Monday's Iowa Caucus.

“Congratulations to President Donald Trump on his massive victory at the Iowa Caucuses!" Stefanik said. "Thank you to the people of Iowa for your incredible support in delivering this historic win."

"As I have said for over a year, President Trump will be our Republican nominee and will defeat Joe Biden in November," she continued.

"I am calling on every other candidate - all of whom have no chance to win - to drop out so we can unify and immediately rally behind President Trump so that we can focus 100% of our resources on defeating Joe Biden to Save America.”

Trump's projected victory in Iowa came quick.

The Fox News Decision Desk called the caucus at 8:31 p.m. ET — half an hour after the Hawkeye State opened up their polls.

Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer helped a mom having a tough time with a crying baby on the two-hour flight to Iowa.

Hemmer was on his way to the Hawkeye state when he came to the rescue and held baby Amelia for the flight as her mom was also dealing with her two-year-old.

She later sent Hemmer a note saying he showed the goodness in humanity with his gesture.

Campaign signs for Republican candidates Donald Trump and Nikki Haley appear outside Franklin Junior High in Des Moines, Iowa, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

We know Trump does well with rural voters. Tonight, we’re seeing that in Trump’s margins in counties like Henry County and Keokuk County, sparsely populated areas in the deep southeast.

In Henry, with an estimated 49% of the vote counted, Trump is running about 45 points ahead of Haley, who’s in second place.

In Keokuk, with 32% of the vote counted, Trump’s running nearly 70 points ahead of the current second place getter, DeSantis.

As with all live data, be aware that these margins are likely to change as more vote is counted

Getty Images

Among the losers of the Iowa caucuses there is most often one lucky winner who eventually clinches the nomination. But the Iowa caucuses still provide a window into where the presidential candidates stand among voters.

Although not always the case, some candidates may be inclined to drop out of the race due to the lack of support from voters in Iowa.

With just days before the Iowa caucus, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, leaving former president Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson as the main GOP contenders.

Trump, who is projected to win the Iowa caucuses this year, also appears to be on track for the Republican nominee.

A recent poll of 500 Iowa voters, conducted by Suffolk University, showed Trump with 54% support compared to his GOP challengers, Haley at 20% and DeSantis at 13%, and Ramaswamy who is still hanging in at 6%. Christie came in at 2% in the poll that was conducted before he suspended his campaign.

Despite the caucuses being an indication of who voters want the nominee to be, it does not always determine who will likely become the president.

Axios’ political journalist Linh Ta appeared on Fox News Special Report a few days ago to discuss the Iowa caucus, what to expect and polling.

“Polling here is a little bit more difficult to determine than maybe in other states,” Ta said. “With the caucus, you are really relying on people to turnout, to feel really passionate about their candidate, rather than just filling out a ballot and leaving.

She went on to point out that Iowans have to “take their time speaking with their neighbors,” which could take up to several hours.

Ta also added that Trump’s lead is a “historic event.”

“There’s three tickets to get out of Iowa, you just need one of them.”

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Iowa Republicans on Biden's legitimacy

When asked if President Joe Biden was legitimately elected, about a third of Iowa Republicans say that he was, but almost double that amount say that he was not!

Iowa Republican's confidence in election integrity

What about the integrity of our elections on both a national and state level? Well, just over half of Iowa Republicans have confidence in elections on a national level. 

Iowans confident in the integrity of their state elections

But on the state level, significantly more say that they are confident with the integrity of elections in their own state. 

Donald Trump looks over a crowd

EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump said he feels "invigorated" and "greatly honored" after winning the 2024 Iowa caucuses, telling Fox News Digital that he feels "strong" for our country.

Fox News Digital exclusively interviewed the former president and 2024 Republican frontrunner shortly after the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump won the Iowa Caucuses. 

Trump takes the lion's share of the state's 40 delegates in the first-in-the-nation primary contest. The result solidifies his place as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination. 

"I feel great," Trump told Fox News Digital. "I am greatly honored by such an early call."

"It really is an honor that, minutes after, they’ve announced I’ve won—against very credible competition—great competition, actually," Trump said.

He added: "It is a tremendous thing and a tremendous feeling."

A poll showing who first time Iowan voters supported

Despite the cold, some are attending their first caucus. One-quarter are first-timers, so who did they brave the cold to support?

Trump, not someone new, was the big motivator. More than half came out to support him.

Haley got less than half that, and the contenders got support from around one in ten first-time caucus goers.

Fox News Voter Analysis

Should the U.S. take a more or less active role in solving the world’s problems?

Or is our current role about right?

Half say the U.S. should take a less active role.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump arrives to pick up pizza at a Casey's in Waukee, Iowa, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

It's a little after 8pm Eastern, and former President Donald Trump has a commanding lead according to the Fox News Decision Desk as doors are closing in Iowa's Republican caucus meetings.

He has a deep bond with GOP voters; particularly rural Americans. Governor Ron DeSantis and former Governor Nikki Haley are locked in a tight battle for second place.

DeSantis made a push for Evangelical Christians, but so far his support with that group is only slightly greater than with non-evangelicals.

Meanwhile, Haley's base is more urban. And she carries four-in-ten voters who say they are "non-MAGA."

Ramaswamy is running further behind.

Every four years, presidential candidates spend weeks speaking with voters in Iowa ahead of the state's crucial caucus day, which kicks off the GOP presidential nomination calendar.

Republican caucusgoers are gathering Monday night at precincts across the state to choose their preferred candidate through secret ballot voting. When all the votes are counted, a victor will be revealed.

The winner will gain momentum heading into the first primary election in the nation in New Hampshire — plus bragging rights for the rest of the campaign.

While the Iowa caucuses will give the winning candidate an early lead in the race to the nomination, it does not always foreshadow who will become the Republican Party’s nominee.

For example, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was named the victor of the Iowa caucuses in 2016, only to ultimately lose the nomination to Trump.

The caucuses will mark a key moment in the heated presidential primary race, narrowing the playing field by shining a light on how voters are truly feeling about the candidates beyond any presidential polling numbers.

Former Rep. Trey Gowdy told Fox News viewers on “Special Report” the two things he’ll be looking out for at the Iowa caucuses tonight.

Noting that it’s brutally cold in the Hawkeye State tonight, he said that this is “democracy at its finest.”

As to what he’s watching, he says that “I want to know the argument for staying in if you’re third.”

He’s also got his eye on one candidate in particular.

“I’m curious, Nikki Haley, tonight is her speech a vice presidential speech or is it an ad hominem contrast with Donald Trump?"

Home Depot co-founder and political megadonor Ken Langone is showing his approval for former South Carolina governor and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, stating "she's like a great wine."

Langone appeared on Fox News' "Your World" earlier today to discuss the Iowa Caucus and voice his support for Haley as a GOP 2024 presidential candidate.

Langone originally told Fox that Haley looks like a promising candidate. He pointed out today how her numbers have been improving, telling Neil Cavuto that Haley is "better with time," and that "she's like a great wine."

Cavuto asked the Home Depot co-founder what would happen if Haley didn't end up in second place, highlighting the pressure that would then be on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to perform well.

"Ron DeSantis has spent a lot of time, by his own admission, in Iowa. If he doesn't come in second, I think the obvious decision there is he should drop out of the race. On the other hand, if Nikki Haley comes in third close to DeSantis, there's every reason for her to continue to carry on because I think she's going to win New Hampshire."

Haley is now ahead of DeSantis according to recent polls, but Trump still remains far in the lead, according to public opinion surveys.

Fox News Voter Analysis

Immigration is a top issue for Republicans across the country and in Iowa. Let’s dive deeper – do Iowa Republicans say immigrants do more to help or hurt the country?

And when it comes to the U.S. Mexico wall, Republicans in Iowa are in favor of it, with almost nine-in-ten favoring, and over seven-in-ten even strongly in favor of building the wall.

Campaign signs for Republican candidates Donald Trump and Nikki Haley appear outside Franklin Junior High in Des Moines, Iowa, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

There are 40 delegates on the line in Iowa. They will be awarded proportionately to vote. So, for example:

-- a candidate who gets about 50% of the vote can expect to receive about 20 delegates

-- a candidate who gets about 20% of the vote can expect to receive about 8 delegates.

The final calculation depends on the exact vote share for each candidate.

Many states have a “threshold” for winning delegates. For example, next week in New Hampshire, a candidate has to receive at least 10% of the vote to receive any delegates.

That’s not the case in Iowa – if a candidate receives enough vote share to win a single delegate, it will be awarded to them."

Former Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson defended former President Trump's actions and said that people also would have called the biblical King David "a horrible guy."

Carson made the comments on Fox News' "Your World" with Neil Cavuto, saying that politicians "frequently have a silver tongue and they say all the right things, but they don't carry through with them."

"In the case of Donald Trump, sometimes he says things that irritate people," Carson said. "But you have to look at his policies."

Carson pointed to "evangelicals" being "skeptical" of the former president and said that he had received calls from "some very big names in the evangelical movement" regarding his support of Trump.

"Those people are all supporting him now because they've seen what he did," Carson said, citing Trump's judicial appointments and saying that "Americans recognize he was a very good president."

Carson then compared Trump to the biblical King David when asked how the former president will get around his issue of voters who are against his candidacy.

"You think about the Bible and King David," Carson said. "Most of those people probably, if they were alive back in those days, would say, 'Oh, what a horrible guy!'"

"You know, the episode with Bathsheba and some of the other things that he did," Carson continued. "And yet, he was a man after God's own heart. God uses different people for different times."

Carson was pressed by Cavuto on his comparison of Trump to King David.

"I don't know about [calling] him 'king,' but certainly he has some policies that are very worthwhile," Carson said, before pivoting to speaking on the weaponization of the Department of Justice by "the Left."

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley chose not to answer a question about whether men can become women, instead saying that the government should allow such surgeries for adults, during a town hall Sunday.

Haley, who previously served as United Nations ambassador and governor of South Carolina, appeared to dodge the question from an Iowa voter about transgenderism during the town hall.

The Haley campaign held the town hall via teleconference which was held after a blizzard forced it to cancel a planned in-person event in Dubuque, Iowa."We shouldn’t have them permanently change their body until they’re 18," Haley told the voter, according to audio of the event first obtained by the Daily Caller.

"After the age of 18, we want to make sure people can live any way they want to live. I don’t think government needs to be in control of anybody’s life. You go live the way you want to live, you should be free to live the way you want to live. And government and everybody else should stay out of your way."

Haley added that she strongly believed children under the age of 18 years old should not be legally allowed to proceed with any gender surgeries. She noted tattoos are illegal for anyone younger than 18 years old.

She failed, though, to ever say in her answer whether she believed a man could or could not become a woman. 

Fox News Voter Analysis

Will Republicans be able to unite and support their party’s nominee no matter who it is? Or will they be divided in November?

About 3 in 10 Iowa Republicans say they would be so dissatisfied with DeSantis and Haley as their candidate that they would not vote for them in November. About 2 in 10 say the same about Trump.

Fox News Voter Analysis

What qualities are Iowa Republicans looking for in their nominee?

With possible thoughts of our current president in mind, an overwhelming majority says it’s very important the GOP candidate has the mental capability to serve effectively.

Almost as many say the same about being a strong leader. Large numbers, about 8 in 10, also prioritize defeating Biden, having the best policy ideas, and being empathetic.

Fox News Voter Analysis

Iowa Republicans want radical change when it comes to how the country is run.  

Almost all want at least substantial change in the way things are done, with one-third favoring complete and total upheaval!

Fox News Voter Analysis

Here’s something that gives a sense of who is expanding the electorate: First-time caucus-goers.  

Which candidates persuaded Iowans who’ve never participated before to brave below-freezing temperatures?

One-third of Ramaswamy and Haley supporters are attending their first caucus, according to Fox News Voter Analysis. For Trump, it’s almost 3 in 10. DeSantis brought in fewer new folks, despite visiting all 99 counties

2024 presidential candidate Ryan Binkley

There are many big names among the GOP candidates in the 2024 presidential election, but candidate Ryan Binkley is not one of them.

Binkley, a businessman, lead pastor and a longshot contender for the Republican 2024 presidential nomination, announced his run for the presidency on April 23, 2023.

He was born in Columbus, Georgia and grew up in Texas. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and entrepreneurship from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master's degree in Business Administration from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University, according to his campaign website.

He worked for Proctor & Gamble and the Boston Scientific Corporation before making a career change. He launched the Generational Group in 2005 and became CEO and president in 2023.

Binkley is the co-founder, along with his wife Ellie, of Create Church also located in Richardson, Texas in 2014 and has served as lead pastor since 2023. The couple have five children and their youngest was adopted from South Korea, where his wife was born before she moved to the United States with her parents, according to his campaign website.

Binkley is urging "America's leaders to return to the core values of trusting in God and each other again, caring for the hurting, leading with integrity, and bringing hope and healing to your nation," the site also states.

Despite campaigning and holding events in Iowa ahead of tonight's caucus, the businessman and pastor has failed to gain support in any polls, according to Des Moines Register.

Fox News Voter Analysis

On a personal level, what do Iowa Republicans think about their family’s financial situation? Like we’ve seen in national polling, Iowans say they’re in bad shape financially.

Just about 1 in 10 say they’re getting ahead, while three times that say they are falling behind. A majority say they’re holding steady. 

DES MOINES, Iowa – Former President Donald Trump is optimistic about his showing in Monday night’s Iowa caucuses, which lead off the Republican presidential nominating calendar. 

“I think we’re going to have a tremendous night tonight. The people are fantastic. I’ve never seen spirit like they have,” Trump told reporters as he departed the Fort Des Moines hotel on Monday afternoon. 

Trump is the commanding front-runner in the polls in Iowa and in national surveys in the GOP nomination race as he makes his third straight White House run. He made history last year as the first former or current president to be indicted for a crime, but his four indictments, including charges he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss, have only fueled his support among Republican voters.

Trump stood at 50% support or higher in a slew of polls over the past month in Iowa. Additionally, he was at 48% support in the final Des Moines Register/Mediacom/NBC News poll of likely Republican caucusgoers that was released Saturday night. Former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who are battling for a distant second place in Iowa, stood at 20% and 16% in the new survey, respectively.

The closely-watched and highly-anticipated survey, conducted by longtime pollster Ann Selzer, has a well-earned tradition of accuracy in past GOP presidential caucuses, and it is considered by many as the gold standard in Iowa polling. 

As he departed the hotel, Trump also noted that “we’ve won it twice as you know.” He appeared to be pointing to his carrying Iowa in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. But Trump narrowly lost the Iowa Republican caucuses eight years ago to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. 

The DeSantis and Haley campaigns and their top surrogates and allies in recent days have been spotlighting the high expectations Trump faces in Monday night’s caucuses and have framed anything under 50% support for the former president in Iowa as a setback. 

"I think it's going to be bad for President Trump if he doesn't come in over 50. He's not meeting expectations that the media and the polls have been putting out for the past several months," Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds – the top DeSantis surrogate in the Hawkeye State – argued in an interview Monday morning on Fox News' "Fox and Friends." 

However, Trump and his campaign are taking aim at the high expectations he faces in Iowa. 

"No one has ever won the Iowa caucus by more than 12%," Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita told Fox News Digital on Saturday. "I think the public polls are a little rich."

Trump, speaking with reporters on Sunday, said "there seems to be something about 50%."

"I think they're doing it so that they can set a high expectation. So if we end up with 49%, which would be about 25 points bigger than anyone else ever got, they can say, he had a failure, it was a failure. You know fake news," he argued.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley says she is excited ahead of the Iowa caucuses, and is confident both in her primary prospects and her prospects in a head-to-head against President Biden in November.

"We're so excited, it's go time, this is what we've been waiting for," she told Fox News' Neil Cavuto.

"We're ready, we've spent 11 months, talking to voters shaking every hand answering every question, being the last person to leave at every town hall and it's all for this moment," she said.

She said her team was not deterred by the icy cold weather in the Hawkeye State: "I'm not worried."

She emphasized polling that suggests she would comfortably beat Biden in a head-to-head matchup in November.

"We have a country to save," she said, saying people "don't want a President Kamala Harris. They want us to win in November."

"We beat Joe Biden by double digits, no-one else does that," she said.

She wouldn't comment on whether Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis should step down if he finishes below her in Iowa, saying she never comments on whether someone should get out of the race: "We've been focused on our race."

Fox News Voter Analysis

It’s caucus night in Iowa and our Fox News Voter Analysis has been asking likely Republican caucus-goers in the state – more than 1,500 of them – who they are supporting and why. 

Conducted along with our partners the Associated Press and NORC at the University of Chicago, Fox News will be using this innovative election survey approach throughout the 2024 primary season. 

In Iowa , we’ll be looking at questions such as who was able to motivate first-time caucus-goers to head out into the cold weather and give up a few hours on their Monday evening? Are GOP caucus attendees interested in a candidate who has good policy ideas? One who is a strong leader? What about defeating Joe Biden in the fall – is that what Iowa Republicans care about most of all? 

We’ll also be diving into the most important issues facing the country. Is it the economy? Abortion? Immigration? 

And will Republicans come together and support their nominee in November, or are we looking at a chance that the party will split? 

All that and more is on deck. The survey questionnaire and results will be posted on foxnews.1eye.us after 8:00 p.m. ET. And keep checking back here for more news and analysis of the results.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, speaking in Iowa on Monday, side-stepped a question about whether it is undemocratic for former President Donald Trump to be taken off the presidential ballot in states like Colorado -- just as the issue heads to the Supreme Court.

Asked at a campaign event by Fox News Digital's Brandon Gillespie if the Biden campaign thinks it is undemocratic for a presidential candidate to be taken off the ballot, Pritzker said that was not a Democratic Party position and is instead up to the Supreme Court.

"The Supreme Court is going to decide that, that's not a Democratic Party position," he said.

"It's just that in various states, people, individuals have taken this issue up and we’ll hear from the Supreme Court shortly, I’m sure," he said.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments in February. The Colorado Supreme Court had barred Trump from the state ballot after it concluded that Trump "engaged in insurrection" over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Similar efforts have been launched in other states.

Fox News' Brandon Gillespie and Emily Robertson contributed to this report.

(Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

The New Hampshire primary is taking place on January 23, 2024 and will be preceded by a debate between qualifying candidates on January 18. 

New Hampshire has a “closed primary" which means one must be a registered Republican to vote in the Republican primary and vice versa. Undecided voters will be made to choose a party upon voting. 

This year, New Hampshire Democrats and Republicans will hold their primary on the same day – but the Democratic primary will not be sanctioned by the national arm of the Democratic Party.

The Democratic National Committee upended it’s presidential primary calendar for 2024, booting New Hampshire from its leadoff spot. However, that didn’t sit well with the Granite State, and Democrats will be holding the “first-in-the-nation” primary against the DNC and President Biden’s wishes.

Holding an unsanctioned primary has led President Biden to keep his name off the New Hampshire ballot. That triggered leading Granite State Democrats to launch a write-in campaign in an attempt to prevent an electoral embarrassment for the president as he runs for a second term in the White House.

GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images

The Republican Iowa caucuses are shaping up to be the wild card event of the political season as candidates converge for what could either be a blowout Trump landslide or a knock-down-drag-out fight between multiple contenders. 

The election is expected to be covered by every major media outlet in addition to Republican organizations holding election watch parties within the state.

Complicating matters further are Iowa's unique election system and inclement weather forecast.

The caucus system, which relies on people gathering at specific times to meet and cast votes as a group, could be affected by severe winter storms. 

This year, Iowa is expecting colder than normal temperatures — as low as -13° Monday evening, which some pundits believe may dampen turnout. How this may change the caucus results is one of the many factors shaping up Iowa as a wildcard election. 

Six American voters joined Harris Faulkner today on "The Faulkner Focus" to discuss the Republican presidential candidates and who they're watching tonight during the Iowa caucuses.

"Going into the Iowa caucus, we pretty much know President Trump is going to take the lead there," one undecided Republican voter from New York told Faulkner. "Up until now, I was pretty much behind DeSantis, but Nikki Haley has really been proving to be a forerunner in all this and I really can't wait to see how she does tonight."

Another voter said, "I like Nikki."

"I feel that she's a more moderate candidate. There are some issues that are more important to me than others. I've liked her answers in the debates on things like women's rights, pro-life, pro choice, and I just feel that the country needs a fresh face. And I like a strong woman. I can identify with her," the female voter told Faulkner.

Four of the six individuals raised their hands when asked who is undecided.

"I'm just not inspired by the candidates," said one undecided male voter. He is waiting to be inspired by either Vivek Ramaswamy or Trump. "I've got to travel all around the world. I got to do study abroad in China; getting on a bullet train going over 200 miles an hour, things that they're building to bring their country forward. And right now, we're failing our citizens now. We're failing the next generation, and I don't feel like any candidate is giving substantive measures of how they're going to inspire the next generation to move forward and what we're going to build together. And I'm just waiting to be inspired."

REUTERS/Emily Elconin

At both caucuses and primaries, voters will express support for the candidate of their choice on a ballot that they would like to be the nominee and then after all votes are submitted, whoever ends up with the most wins.

Where primaries differ from caucuses, however, is that unlike in a primary, where you show up to vote and then leave, at a caucus, voters show up to discuss their priorities, advocate for specific candidates, and attempt to persuade neighbors on who the nominee should be. The caucusgoers elect delegates who will go on to conventions and committees to debate other political party matters.

One Republican and Democrat presidential candidate will be chosen from each party as the nominee.

The two political parties, however, use different methods of voting for the candidates.

Democrats will take count of voters who show up to the caucus before starting the voting process and then will either separate into groups based upon which candidate they are in favor of or if they are uncertain then they can form an “undecided” group, according to POLYAS the election glossary.

The site states that Republicans use secret ballots to cast votes. The amount of people in each group will be counted and a candidate must get at least 15% of the votes by those who attended in order to win.

A period known as “realignment” occurs where undecided voters can either select the other candidate or leave the caucus, thus having to continue until candidates have more than 15% of voters.

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DES MOINES, IA – Former President Donald Trump is keeping up his attacks on Republican presidential nomination rival Nikki Haley.

‘Nikki Haley can never win in the General Election because she doesn’t have MAGA, and never will!” the former president charged on social media on Monday, hours before Iowa’s caucuses kick off the GOP presidential nominating calendar.

And the former president, spotlighting his vast differences with the former South Carolina governor who later served as ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration, argued that  “Nikki is a Globalist RINO.”

Trump remains the commanding front-runner for the Republican nomination as he runs a third straight time for the White House. But Haley enjoyed plenty of momentum in the late summer and autumn, and recent weeks, she caught up with Florid Gov. Ron DeSantis for second place in national surveys and the polls in Iowa.

Haley also surpassed DeSantis and surged to second place, narrowing the gap with Trump in New Hampshire, the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar, eight days after Iowa's caucuses.

“Donald Trump knows Nikki Haley is a strong conservative who he praises repeatedly for her toughness at the United Nations,” Haley national spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas emphasized as she responded to Trump’s attack.

And she argued that “now that Nikki is surging and Trump is dropping, his campaign is flinging phony, contradictory attacks. Don’t believe the fake news from Trump world.”

Longtime Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann says the potential remains for a record turnout at Monday night’s presidential caucuses, which lead off the 2024 Republican nominating calendar.

Despite the blizzard that slammed into Iowa on Friday and Saturday and the frigid below zero temperatures that continue to punish the Hawkeye State, Kaufmann told Fox News Digital on Monday that “it’s a possibility” for a record turnout.

The record in the Republican presidential caucuses was set eight years ago, when 186,000 took part in a caucus narrowly won by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas over then-businessman and real estate mogul Donald Trump.

“The climate is like that. Certainly, the enthusiasm is there,” Kaufmann said. “We’ll see if these sub-zero temperatures take us from breaking to a great turnout. But I think I can look you in the eye and predict robust turnout this evening.”

Republican Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake predicted a “decisive” win for Donald Trump in Monday's Iowa caucus, and called on his opponents to consolidate support toward beating President Biden in November.

The biggest victory in a crowded field was a little over 12% … so I think if he does 12 points better than these other guys, then that will be very decisive. That being said, I think he's going to do even better than that," Lake told Fox News Digital during an interview at Trump's headquarters in Des Moines.

“I do,” Lake said when asked if a commanding win for Trump should lead to Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis leaving the race. “We don't need these vanity projects from these other people who don't have a snowball's chance in Phoenix to win.”

“It's just outrageous that all that money has been poured in. We could have taken that money and worked to defeat the Democrats and their destructive policies that have been so damaging to our country, to our families, to our security, and, frankly, to the globe,” she said.

She called on them to “boldly step out” and offer their support to Trump.

“Let's all band together and start going after Joe Biden and get him out of office so that we can start turning things around,” she added.

KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump took to the main stage in Iowa last week for a live town hall where he received questions about issues facing the Hawkeye State. Fox News' Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum hosted the event and audience members were also asked to present questions to the former president.

Topics included abortion, immigration and border security, President Biden and his health, NATO, foreign wars and more.

When asked how he would de-escalate global tensions, Trump said he would "do it through peace, through strength."

And when asked who his running mate will be, he answered, "I can't tell you that really, I mean, I know who it's going to be."

On the topic of Biden, Trump pointed blame at the president for “chaos now” when asked if a second Trump presidency would “bring years of chaos.” 

Trump, who leads the Republican primary field by a massive margin, stands at or above 50% support in the latest polls in Iowa. His rankings fall miles ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who are battling for a distant second place.

Trump campaign sources told Fox News Digital they are booking top-level surrogates to do their own events and stops across Iowa ahead of the Iowa caucuses. A campaign source told Fox News Digital the surrogates will be "blanketing" the airwaves and Iowa ahead of the caucuses.

The town hall followed Trump's appearance in federal court on Tuesday.

Fox News' Matteo Cina and Gabriele Regalbuto contributed to this report.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Last week, GOP candidate Nikki Haley participated in a town hall hosted by Fox News Channel. The event took place just one week shy of the Iowa caucuses.

"Special Report" chief political anchor Bret Baier and "The Story" anchor Martha MacCallum co-moderated the first of three one hour long events with GOP candidates in Iowa.

During the town hall, Haley emphasized her stance on issues including term limits in Congress, border security and abortion. 

She also pushed back against one of GOP rival Ron DeSantis' ads attacking her over past comments she says he's "lying" about surrounding former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"DeSantis is desperate," Haley said. "He's lying because he's losing. But let's go to the problem is, if you have to lie to win, you don't deserve to win. I never said Hillary Clinton was an inspiration. What I said when I was talking to a group of women who were looking at running for office, I said the same thing about her that I said about Sarah Palin, and that is when I was looking to run. Everybody told me why I couldn't do it."

She also hit back at former President Donald Trump over his claim she "betrayed" him by running for president despite telling him she wouldn't run against him.

"When I said that I would never run against him, we hadn’t had the debacle in Afghanistan, we hadn’t had inflation go through the roof, and we didn’t lose the midterms by ridiculous numbers," Haley said.

"What he won’t tell you is when I decided to run, I called him. And I called him for two reasons. One, because it was the right thing to do ... and two, because I wanted him to know I was in it to win it," she said.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig joined Fox News on Monday to discuss the unprecedented weather facing Iowans who are headed to polls tonight.

Naig also encouraged elevating issues around energy, agriculture and food security in the 2024 election. So far, the most important issues to Iowa voters have been the economy and immigration, both of which poll very poorly for President Biden.

Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images

With the Iowa caucus taking place tonight, let’s dive into the history of the state’s voting record.

Before 1988, Iowa leaned more in favor of the Republican Party. But from 1992-2012, voters showed more support for Democrats in six out of seven elections. In 2016, Donald Trump won the general election in Iowa by 9%, and he won by 8% over Joe Biden in 2020.

Over the past century, Iowa has had its fair share in voting for both Democrats and Republicans, but leaned more in favor of Republicans.

From 1900 until 2020, Iowa has voted for the Democratic Party 35.5% of the time and the Republican Party 64.5% of the time. From 2000 until 2020, Iowa voted for the Democratic Party 50% of the time and the Republican Party 50% of the time, according to Ballotpedia.

The site also notes in the 31 elections that Iowa has participated in, 20 presidential election results were won by Republicans and 11 were won by Democrats.

Joe Raedle

Candidates and campaigners are descending on Iowa over the weekend as the state gets ready for kicking off primary season. 

Expected to attend are the main contenders: former President Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Tech Entrepeneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and long shot candidate former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson.

Haley has received the endorsement of 72 public figures in the state, DeSantis secured the coveted endorsement of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and other political figures, and Vivek has been endorsed by controversial former Republican Iowa Rep. Steve King. 

All the candidates are expected to crisscross the state to meet with supporters on Monday and attempt to win over caucusgoers who haven’t made their final decision.  

Spin wars: Trump pushes back on talk he needs to top 50% in Iowa caucuses

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is taking to the airwaves hours before her state's caucuses lead off the 2024 Republican presidential nominating calendar to raise expectations for former President Trump.

"I think it's going to be bad for President Trump if he doesn't come in over 50. He's not meeting expectations that the media and the polls have been putting out for the past several months," Reynolds argued in an interview Monday morning on Fox News' "Fox and Friends."

The popular Iowa governor is the top surrogate in the Hawkeye State for Trump's rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is battling former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for a distant second place in Iowa behind Trump, who is the commanding frontrunner for the GOP nomination as he makes his third straight White House run.

It is not just Reynolds, either. 

DeSantis campaign manager James Uthmeier, in a Sunday appearance on Fox News' "America's Newsroom," argued that "expectations are high for Trump…he's got to perform. If he gets less than half the vote, more people voting against him than for him. I think that's, you know, setting up doom down the road."

Haley, in an interview on the same program, noted that people will be looking to see if Trump "is falling below 50%."

Tech entrepreneur and presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy spoke with Fox News Digital on Monday as Iowans prepared to hold caucuses in the Republican presidential race.

Ramaswamy predicted a big upset in the state, saying polls showing him in 4th place will be "turned upside down tonight."

AP Photo/Matt Slocum

The day of the Iowa caucus for the 2024 presidential election is finally here.

The Iowa caucuses, which have been the first-in-the-nation balloting since the 1970s, kicks off the voting scene. Political parties are required by law in Iowa, to hold caucuses every two years to select delegates to county conventions and party committees and the presidential caucuses take place every four years during election season.

Caucuses are meetings run by political parties that are held at the county, district, or precinct level.

The meetings can take place in schools, community centers, auditoriums, gyms, churches and other locations, as listed on the Republican Party of Iowa website.

Iowans will gather with their precinct “neighbors” to discuss the choices and select their preference for a candidate in an election, and pick representatives for conventions or committees. Iowa is among several states including North Dakota, Wyoming and Nevada, that still hold caucuses as part of the election process.

Fox News - Paul Steinhauser

Unlike the primary system, which involves people going to the polls and casting a private vote, the caucus system involves citizens gathering together in community centers, debating the candidates, and casting a public vote for delegates to be allowed to the winner. 

For candidates, it is incredibly important to have surrogates at caucus events arguing for you and making your case. This is known as “caucusing” for a candidate. While anyone can advocate for a candidate, “caucusing” is typically assigned to local campaign surrogates, loyalists, and prominent figures within the community that hold sway.

During three separate Fox News Channel hosted town hall events last week with Donald Trump, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, the candidates took questions from audience members, some who spoke as loyalists to a particular candidate.

Trump sent white caps to Iowa with embroidered gold lettering that reads “Trump Caucus Captain” for those caucusing for him.

Fox News' Gabriele Regalbuto contributed to this report.

JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

The centrist group No Labels is trying to reach out and speak with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie about a possible role in a potential third-party, bipartisan presidential ticket.

Sources in Christie's political camp confirmed to Fox News there has been outreach by No Labels but that the organization has not had any actual conversations with the former governor since he suspended his presidential campaign on Wednesday. 

Asked in an interview in July if he'd consider joining a possible No Labels ticket, Christie shot down the idea, saying, "I think it’s a fool’s errand."

"I’m not in this for showtime. I’m not in this for making a point. I’m in this to get elected President of the United States, and there are only two people who will get elected President of the United States: the Republican nominee for president and the Democratic nominee for president," Christie said at the time in an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s "This Week."

Christie allies remain skeptic of him joining No Labels out of fear of cutting into anti-Trump support. "I want to promise you this — I am going to make sure that in no way do I enable Donald Trump to ever be President of the United States again. And that's more important than my own personal ambitions," Christie emphasized in his campaign resignation speech.

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Archive Photos

The Iowa caucuses that we know today can be traced back to the late 1960s and early 1970s. Here are some of the upsets and most notable caucuses over the last five decades.

Iowa caucus 1972: After a push to change the traditional ways of the caucus system from Democrats who believed it was more controlled by “party bosses” as opposed to “responding to grassroots voices and desire,” according to Des Moines Register, Iowa became first in kicking off the election process during election season. Then Sen. George McGovern, a Democrat, came in third place with 23% votes, but gained media attention which helped him in the New Hampshire primary.

Iowa caucus 1976: Jimmy Carter also made it in the news and spent a lot of time in Iowa, which boosted his performance. He ended up gaining 28% of votes and went on to eventually become president.

Iowa caucus 1988: Then-Sen. Bob Dole won 37% of the votes, calling it “a rather clear-cut victory,” as reported by the Los Angeles Times. Televangelist Pat Robertson came in second place with 25%, and then Vice President George HW Bush came in third place with 19%. However, Bush eventually ended up becoming the nominee, winning the presidency.

Iowa caucus 2008: Then-Sen. Barack Obama, who eventually became the president, was up against then-Sen. Hillary Clinton. On the Republican side, former Arkansas governor and Baptist minister Mike Huckabee was up against Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and the late Sen. John McCain. Obama won 37.6% votes, Clinton came in third place winning 29.5%. Huckabee won 34.4% of votes from delegates, Romney came in second with 25.4% and McCain in last place with 13.2%.

Iowa caucus 2012: Romney was named as winner of the caucus, beating former Senator Rick Santorum by 8 votes. Everything seemed to be smooth sailing after Romney won the New Hampshire primary, and would have been the first Republican to win both Iowa and New Hampshire in the nominating race. But just eight days after the primary, it was found out that Romney came in second place in the Iowa caucus and 16 days after the caucus it was made public that he had actually lost to Santorum by 34 votes.

This mishap affected the Republican Party in Iowa, forcing them to admit that there was a mistake in counting votes. 

Rubio becomes second Florida senator to endorse Trump over DeSantis

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., endorsed former President Trump on Sunday instead of his state's governor, Ron DeSantis, for the 2024 presidential election.

"When Trump was in WH I achieved major policies I had worked on for years (like expanded Child Tax Credit & tough sanctions on regime in Cuba & Venezuela) because we had a President who didn’t cave to special interests or let bureaucrats block us," Rubio wrote on X.

"I support Trump because that kind of leadership is the ONLY way we will get the extraordinary actions needed to fix the disaster Biden has created," he added. "It’s time to get on with the work of beating Biden & saving America!"

Rubio had contested against Trump in the 2016 election but withdrew from the race following his defeat in the Florida primary. Last November, Florida Sen. Rick Scott threw his support behind Trump, leading both state senators to favor Trump over DeSantis.

During the contentious 2016 race, Trump often referred to Rubio as "Little Marco," while Rubio referred to Trump as a "con artist" and said his administration would be "chaos." 

Fox News' Jamie Joseph contributed to this report

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

A new poll in Iowa suggests that Nikki Haley has pulled ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for a distant second place behind former President Trump in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

Despite this, Haley is staying disciplined when it comes to setting expectations and is erring on the side of cautious optimism. 

"The media loves to set expectations," Haley said in an interview with Fox News. "My expectation for myself is to come out strong in Iowa, to come out strong in New Hampshire, and to come out strong in South Carolina."

However, Haley had reason to be optimistic, pointing to her just-concluded campaign event. "Our people are excited. The momentum is real on the ground. You saw we had 300 people in that room. I think we're going to really make a big showing."

When asked about the frigid weather, Haley told Fox News "it's about, are going to get people out with negative 15-degree temperatures. … I really think that we're going to have them, you know, brave that cold."

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.

The rural counties where Trump is expected to win big

It is caucus day in Iowa, and all signs point to a decisive win for former President Trump.

The former president has been a consistent frontrunner in surveys.

However, even if Trump takes home a first place trophy, the contest will make news. With so few candidates left in the field, the person who comes in second might be the only one with a chance at competing with Trump.

Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis are the best positioned to take home that silver medal. Given that those candidates are only separated by a few points in recent surveys, it could be a long night.

So, for an early look into the statewide result, watch the returns from these counties. They will tell something about the shape of the overall race.

Trump has a strong bond with voters across the Hawkeye State, but it is rural voters who like Trump most.

Low income, non-college-educated, and/or evangelical voters are also more likely to live in rural areas, and these groups are critical elements of Trump’s base.

The good news for Trump is that Iowa is home to dozens of sparsely populated rural zones. Forty-eight of the state’s 99 counties have fewer than 15,000 residents.

Haley is running a different campaign to Trump’s. Her record and policies, particularly on foreign policy and spending, are more appealing to non-Trump and/or pro-establishment GOP voters.

As a result, Haley over-performs with urban and suburban voters.

Fox News' Remy Nuna contributed to this report

Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Iowa voters are most concerned about high inflation and the crisis at the southern border going into the 2024 election cycle, according to a recent poll.

As presidential candidates gear up for the Iowa caucuses, a highly anticipated event that kicks of the presidential nomination calendar, residents will likely be focusing on these top issues when deciding which candidate to vote for.

A Des Moines Register poll released in November found that 81% of likely Republican caucusgoers believe inflation is an extremely important issue currently facing the country.

About 97% of likely GOP caucusgoers also noted that the southern border is an issue of top concern, being either extremely important or important to them when considering which candidate they will throw support behind this fall.

The Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom survey was conducted October 22 to 26th among likely Republican caucusgoers, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

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On Sunday, Republican presidential candidates held their final events in Iowa ahead of the caucuses.

From former Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley’s pictures with the Iowa State Fair Butter Cow – to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ visit to the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, candidates have held events across Iowa for the last year. 

"I'm going to use every minute I can to be able to win votes," DeSantis said at an event last week in Ankeny, IA.

Between all of the town halls and diner visits, some voters were still unsure of who they plan to support on the eve of caucus night.

"I've kind of narrowed it down to Haley and DeSantis," Retired U.S. Army Reserves Col. Mike Treinen said. 

Treinen served during the Vietnam War and says veterans' issues are important to him.

"With Iran and Israel, those are heavy duty issues," Treinen said. "There are a lot of people who would like to think that we're already at war with Iran."

He is also concerned about national defense and the crisis at the southern border. He wants a candidate who can beat President Joe Biden.

"I will not vote for Biden under any circumstances," Treinen said. "I think he just shows a complete failure of leadership, trying to always duck the issue, blame it on somebody else. A lot of poor ideas, the pullout from Afghanistan, the runaway inflation, the border."

Fox News' Bret Baier and Amy Munneke contributed to this report.

Candidates wage war on Iowa's airwaves in final hours before caucuses

The major Republican presidential candidates battling for the 2024 GOP nomination are not only taking aim at each other on the Iowa campaign trail, they’re also spending big bucks to target their rivals on Iowa TV and radio airwaves and on-line on social media in the Hawkeye State.

That according to the latest data from AdImpact, a leading national ad tracking firm.

The campaigns have shelled out an eyepopping and unprecedented $123 million this cycle to run ads in Iowa, whose caucuses Monday night lead off the GOP presidential nominating calendar.

That’s nearly half the roughly $270 million spent nationwide in the Republican presidential primaries.

By comparison, only $72.5 million has been dished out to date to run ads in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary in the GOP schedule, eight days after the Iowa caucuses.

In the final two weeks leading up to Monday’s caucuses, Nikki Haley appeared to be the biggest spending. Groups aligned with the former ambassador to the United Nations and former two-term South Carolina governor spent $7.8 million on ads according to AdImpact, followed by $6.1 million spent on behalf of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Roughly $3.5 million was spent on ads for former President Donald Trump, with just $127,000 on behalf of multi-millionaire entrepreneur and first-time candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

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A punishing blizzard has hit Iowa as temperatures entered the mid-teens, the winds were howling, and eight inches of snow had already covered the roads, with more coming down on Friday morning.

But the blast of winter weather didn't stop Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis from holding an early morning campaign event in suburban Des Moines even though it did postpone his events later in the day.

The campaign of former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley canceled their in-person events on Friday and instead were holding tele-town halls.

"I'm sorry I'm not in Fort Dodge, but it was important for me to talk to you," Haley emphasized at the top of one of her events.

Asked if Haley should have hit the campaign trail regardless of the weather, DeSantis told Fox News "That's for her to decide, I believe in interacting with the voters. Anytime I get a chance to do that, I do it. And I think it helps us. We end up converting people.”

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley made her final pitch to Iowa voters before the head to cast their vote in the state's caucuses on Monday.

'Fox & Friends' host Steve Doocy remarked on national polling that shows Haley beating President Biden by a wider margin than any of the other Republican presidential candidates, such as former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The poll showed Haley beating Biden by 17%, while other GOP candidates beat him by just a handful of points.

Haley also said she is confident that Iowa voters will head to the polls despite the bitter cold and snow that is covering most of the state. Doocy remarked that it is the coldest Iowa caucus in history.

Fox News will be using its new, innovative election survey approach again during the 2024 primary season, the Fox News Voter Analysis. 

Together with The Associated Press and NORC at the University of Chicago, Fox News is conducting a survey of approximately 2,500 likely Republican caucusgoers in Iowa to learn who they intend to support Monday night. 

Of course, that’s not all!  The survey also tells us why they are supporting that candidate.   

The survey questionnaire and results will be posted on foxnews.1eye.us after 8:00 p.m. ET Monday, January 15. Earlier in the evening, after 5:00 p.m. ET, you can see select FNVA survey results by following the Fox News Iowa GOP Caucuses blog.   

For example, the gut reaction questions that show what caucusgoers look for in a candidate. How much do they prioritize the nominee having good policy ideas, empathy, or stamina? Or does it all come down to defeating President Biden? 

How many want to see a complete change in how the country is run? And are those folks mostly backing former President Donald Trump or other candidates? 

We’ll look at first-time caucusgoers and see who was able to motivate Iowans to go out in the freezing cold and give up hours of their Monday evening. That will help us get a sense of the campaigns’ ground games.

Micah Green/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Vivek Ramaswamy responded to Donald Trump's recent scathing personal attack, saying that he would not return his comments with "friendly fire" or criticize the former president, but warned voters to "open their eyes."

"Yes, I saw President Trump’s Truth Social post. It’s an unfortunate move by his campaign advisors, I don’t think friendly fire is helpful," Ramaswamy wrote in a late Saturday X post.  

"Donald Trump was the greatest President of the 21st century, and I’m not going to criticize him in response to this late attack," the biotech multimillionaire continued.

The "America first" campaigner, who has long been complimentary of the former president, defended Trump's accusations that he was "not MAGA" arguing that he has "defended him at every step."

"I’m worried for Trump. I’m worried for our country. I’ve stood up against the persecutions against Trump, and I’ve defended him at every step," Ramaswamy said.

Fox News' Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.

GOP Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy joined Fox News on Monday to discuss his chances in the Iowa caucuses.

Ramaswamy argues that there has been a late surge in support for him in the final days leading up to election day. The entrepreneur-turned-politician argued that he is the only candidate not beholden to their biggest donors, because he is his own biggest donor.

'Fox & Friends' host Steve Doocy also pressed Ramaswamy about recent criticism from former President Trump, arguing Trump threw Ramaswamy "under the bus."

Ramaswamy declined to criticize the former president, however, saying he took it in a light hearted way.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis joined 'Fox & Friends' on Monday morning to discuss the state of the race on the day of the Iowa caucuses and why he likes to be considered the 'underdog' in the 2024 election.

DeSantis is competing against former President Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in Monday's caucuses. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is also in the race.

The popular Florida governor argued that he is used to being treated as the underdog and expects he will "do well" in Monday's contest.

That represents a change in tone from just weeks ago, however, when DeSantis was predicting he would win the contest entirely.

Fox News - Paul Steinhauser

The blizzard that hammered Iowa on the eve of the first election of the 2024 campaign season was only the beginning; now come the subzero temperatures and freezing winds. 

However, the hostile environment didn’t stop Republican candidates as they bundled up and hit the trail. Governor Ron DeSantis held early morning events Friday in Des Moines but his events across Iowa were postponed as the weather worsened. 

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley canceled her in-person events on Friday and held tele-town halls, which they claimed were well attended.

Of the three major candidates in Iowa on Friday, only multi-millionaire biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy kept to his in-person campaign schedule despite the dangerous weather.

The big question going into Monday is whether the below zero temperatures will take a bite out of turnout or not. DeSantis, who polls indicate is battling Haley for a distant second place in Iowa behind commanding front-runner Trump, was confident the frigid temperatures wouldn't deter his supporters.

"A little bit of cold can’t keep you away," said Brian Miller of Ankeny, who brought his two young sons with him to see DeSantis. 

Supporters of Republican presidential candidate and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley offered their predictions on the outcome of Monday's Iowa caucuses, but some also revealed which candidate they refuse to support should that individual eventually become the GOP nominee.

Fox News Digital traveled to Haley's final rally ahead of Monday and spoke to a number of voters who expressed their admiration for her, as well as optimism that she would "close the gap" with frontrunner former President Donald Trump.

"The media will tell us that Trump is going to just blow everything away. I think he probably will win, but I think the margin between him and Nikki will be a lot closer," one voter named Claudia told Fox News.

"Nikki's a consensus builder. She works on both sides of the aisle. She's a thinker. I think it's very important for our president to have international savvy and you can't beat Nikki in her global knowledge of everything. She's just solid," she added.

Trump, Haley and DeSantis have plenty on the line as Iowa caucus kicks off the GOP presidential race

In a presidential race that's been underway for more than a year, the voters finally get a say.

Braving frigid below zero temperatures that are punishing the Hawkeye State, Iowans head to more than 1,600 caucus sites on Monday night to cast ballots in the lead off contest of the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race.

"Tomorrow, Jan. 15, I need each and every one of you to get out. Everybody get out. Just get out and vote," former President Donald Trump urged his supporters at a rally Sunday in Indianola, Iowa.

The former president is the commanding frontrunner in national surveys and the latest polls in Iowa as he runs a third straight time for the White House. 

Trump made history last year as the first former or current president to be indicted for a crime, but his four indictments, including charges he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss, have only fueled his support among Republican voters.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds joined Fox News on Monday and explained her continued support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

She argued that the results in Iowa will be "bad for Trump" if the former president does not secure over 50% of the vote. She argues such a result would show that a majority of Republicans support an alternative to Trump, and that majority may consolidate as candidates drop out of the race.

DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley have battled in Trump's shadow for weeks in the primary.

Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images

During the 2024 election cycle, the Republican Iowa caucus remains relatively consistent to 2020 and 2016 with most of the major changes occurring on the Democrat's end. After the fiasco that was the 2020 Iowa Democratic primary, where the results were not known for a full day, Democrats made some fundamental changes. 

First, Iowa was demoted from first in the nation to a Super Tuesday state, losing their coveted position to South Carolina. Second, “Tele-caucusing” was introduced, allowing people to cast their caucus votes remotely. Third, mail-in votes will be counted over a period of weeks, being announced on March 5, Super Tuesday. 

While it remains to be seen if these changes are beneficial for Democrats, the Republican caucus is expected to operate as normal. 

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee discussed the importance of the Iowa caucuses, including why it's important to look for those who underperform.

Huckabee joined Fox News on Monday morning as Iowans prepared to cast their votes. Iowans will have to suffer through bitter cold weather, however, as temperatures across much of the state sit well below zero.

Huckabee said that some of the candidates who have struggled to increase their poll numbers could be forced to end their campaigns after Iowans cast their votes.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis predicted that he would "do well" when Iowa Republicans participate in the state's caucuses on Monday.

DeSantis joined "Fox News Sunday" with host Shannon Bream, arguing that he and his campaign have put in more work than any other candidate. Recent polls show DeSantis trailing in third behind former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former President Trump.

"Do you need to finish second here in Iowa?" Bream asked.

"We're gonna do well," DeSantis responded. "I appreciate being the underdog… I do better in those situations, and I think I have a record of doing well as the underdog. We're gonna do well, and we look forward to doing the next contest."

"We've been working hard. We've been doing a great job, and I think Monday is going to be the pivot point where, now that people start to actually vote, I think it's gonna help change the landscape," he added. "There has not been a candidate that has worked harder… Iowans notice that. You're not entitled to just be nominated. You don't just swoop in and get coronated. You've gotta earn it, and we've earned it."

Iowa voters will have to brave bitter cold weather to participate in Monday's caucuses, however, with forecasts saying much of the state will see temperatures well below zero.

Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Donald Trump was confident he’ll do "very well" in Monday night’s Iowa caucuses, which lead off the 2024 Republican presidential nominating calendar.

But the former president isn’t ready to make a prediction on if he’ll top 50%.

As he left his hotel in Des Moines on Sunday, Trump was asked by Fox News’ James Levinson about whether he would receive more than 50 % of the vote in the caucuses.

"I don't know, I think we are doing very well," Trump answered. The former president is the commanding front-runner in the latest polls in Iowa as well as in national surveys in the GOP presidential nomination race as he makes his third straight White House run.

Trump grabbed 50% support, or higher, in a slew of polls over the past month in Iowa. And he stood at 48% support in the final Des Moines Register/Mediacom/NBC News poll of likely Republican caucusgoers was released Saturday night. His closest rivals – former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – stood at 20% and 16% in the new survey.

Rachel Mummey/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Iowa caucuses are a pivotal moment in presidential primary races that gives voters the first opportunity to name their preferred party nominee. But why is Iowa first?

New Hampshire was originally the first state to hold a caucus, up until the late 1960s. The Democrat Party established a requirement for a longer period of time in between caucuses, forcing the process to start much earlier and making Iowa the first state to hold the kick off event.

The Iowa caucus was hosted by Democrats first in 1972, with Republicans joining in years later as it gained popularity.

For decades since, both Republicans and Democrats looked to Iowa as the first primary voting contest of the presidential election, but things look different in 2024.

Despite sixty years of tradition and establishing the Iowa caucus as first, Democrats decided to move their first early contest from Iowa to South Carolina this cycle in an attempt to reach Black and Hispanic voters in the early primary contests.