Ammon News - Donald Trump won the US’s first election contest of 2024, easily fending off a winnowed field of Republicans who failed to gain as much traction as the cult of personality surrounding the former president.

The Associated Press called the race for Trump rapidly, while caucusgoers in much of the state were still casting ballots, a sign of the wide lead the former president had in the race.

“We were a great nation three years ago and now we’re a nation in decline,” he said, speaking to fans after the results confirmed his victory. He then made a litany of promises of what he would do in a second term, including rampant drilling and giving police officers full immunity.

The heated battle for second place took much longer, with Ron DeSantis edging out Nikki Haley in an upset.

An early estimate of 100,000 Republicans voted in the caucuses on Monday, according to Iowa Republican party chairman Jeff Kaufmann – significantly lower than the turnout in 2016.

The contest in Iowa kicks off the 2024 election cycle, but the primary season is predicted to yield an eventual rematch between Trump and Biden.

The Guardian