Iowa caucus: Donald Trump wins first Republican contest

Democrat President Joe Biden acknowledged that Donald Trump was the "clear front runner" to be the Republican candidate in the US election after Trump won the Iowa caucuses.

"Looks like Donald Trump just won Iowa. He's the clear front runner on the other side at this point," Biden said on X, formerly Twitter.

Biden also rallied his supporters, saying that this presidential election was always going to be "you and me vs. extreme MAGA Republicans."

Vivek Ramaswamy, a multi-millionaire former biotech executive, ended his White House bid and endorsed Donald Trump after his longshot bid failed to catapult him high enough in the Republican Party's first nominating contest in Iowa.

Partial results for the Iowa caucuses showed Ramaswamy coming in fourth with around 7.7% of votes.

Ramaswamy has previously called Trump the "best president of the 21st century"
even as he tried to convince Republican voters that they should opt for "fresh legs" and "take our America First agenda to the next level."

The wealthy political outsider also modeled his own bid on Trump's run, campaigning as a fast-talking, headline-grabbing populist who relentlessly needled opponents.

Former US President Donald Trump told Americans "it is time for our country to come together" after he won the Iowa caucuses, firming up his status as the likely Republican challenger to take on President Joe Biden in November's election.

With 91 percent of the votes counted in the Iowa caucuses, he is expected to win more than half of the vote.

Trump has led polling for more than a year, but the Republican contest was seen as the clearest insight yet into whether he can convert his advantage into a stunning White House return.

With 90% of the expected Iowa caucus votes counted, Donald Trump had 51% of the vote, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had 21.3% and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley had 19%.

The largest margin of victory for an Iowa Republican caucus was 12.8 percentage points for Bob Dole in 1988.

Both DeSantis and Haley were looking for a strong showing that could stop Trump's march to the nomination.

Donald Trump is projected to win the Iowa caucuses, AP news agency reported. 

Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are Trump's most prominent primary rivals. They are aiming for a second-place finish in Iowa that would give them at least some momentum heading into future races.

The former president's victory on Monday night gives him a strong start in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination as the contest moves to New Hampshire.

Donald Trump stepped up attacks against his rivals on the morning of caucus day, calling Haley an "unwanted Globalist" on his social media site, Truth Social.

Haley was formerly Trump's ambassador to the UN during his presidential term. Amid reports that Haley is gaining ground in the Republican primaries, Trump has lashed out at his former rival. 

Haley met with some of her supporters at a diner where they drank coffee out of "Pick Nikki" mugs. She told the caucus captains to "speak from the heart" during their Monday night speeches.

Amid Trump's numerous legal battles and threats against his political enemies, DeSantis has insinuated that the former president is too focused on his personal grievances. 

"Donald Trump is focused on his issues," DeSantis posted on X. "I'm focused on your issues and your family's issues. It's not about me, it's about the future of the country."

As DeSantis has fallen behind in the polls behind Trump and Haley, the Iowa contest could be his last chance to have a shot at the Republican presidential nomination.  

Outspoken candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur, wrote on X that "we will shock the world on Jan 15." Ramaswamy has said he would shut down the "deep state and end corruption in our government." 

Amid the excitement of the first votes of the Republican presidential race, Iowans were faced with stark weather conditions.

The weather conditions are brutally cold and forecasters warned of the coldest Iowa caucus date on record.

The turnout may be low in person as a result, affecting the results of the race.

Trump, DeSantis and other candidates have urged voters to show up for the caucus despite the cold. 

On Sunday, Trump called on his supporters to wear warm clothes, saying "even if you vote and then pass away, it's worth it."   

"I'm asking you to go out, brave the cold and support me in the Iowa Caucus," DeSantis said in a post on X. "You will never have an opportunity to have your vote make more of an impact than you will tonight!"

Republicans across Iowa were gearing up on Monday for the first race of the 2024 election season.

Winning the Iowa caucus is the first step for candidates seeking to seize the Republican presidential nomination. The Republican presidential candidate will then likely face off against Democratic incumbent Joe Biden during the November general elections.   

Former President Donald Trump appeared to be the overwhelming favorite ahead of the vote, according to polls. 

His rivals, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, are vying for second place.

Analysts are closely watching who ends up in the second place ahead of the subsequent primaries.

All registered Republicans can participate in the caucuses, but Iowa also allows people who change their party affiliation the same day to take part.

The Iowa caucus has played a historically important role in presidential politics as the candidates look to it to demonstrate their electability.

Although winning Iowa greatly increases the chances of landing the Republican nomination, a victorious candidate could still not be the nominee by the time November rolls around.

Those selected by Iowa Republicans, in the past, for example, Ted Cruz in 2016, did not go on to clinch the Republican nomination. That year, Donald Trump won the nomination, and eventually defeated former Democratic Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a shock general election win. 

rm/ab, wd (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)