Former President Donald Trump has moved one step closer to a rematch with President Joe Biden, cruising to an easy victory in the Iowa caucuses.
Trump is projected to win by a landslide, earning 51% of the vote, according to The New York Times. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis managed to edge out former United Nations Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley by two percentage points, earning just over 21% of the vote to her more than 19%.
These numbers are based on 95% of votes having been reported, per the NYT.
The Associated Press called the race for Trump less than one hour after Caucus volunteers started counting votes.
“We want to thank the great people of Iowa,” Trump said in his victory speech, reported Fox News.
He told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview, “I feel great. 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.
“We have to get our country back,” he told Fox. “Our country has gone through so many bad things over the last three years and it is continuing to go through bad things,” referring to “the attack of Israel” and the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
“I feel really invigorated and strong for our country,” he told Fox. “We want to Make America Great Again—the greatest slogan ever—and the fact is, that’s what we did.”
Vivek Ramaswamy only managed to get 8% of the vote. Ramaswamy ended his campaign on Monday night following the disappointing result, reported the NYT.
“We did not achieve the surprise that we wanted to deliver tonight,” he said, per the NYT. The businessman immediately endorsed Trump, despite Trump having criticized him just days earlier.
“Vivek started his campaign as a great supporter, ‘the best President in generations,’ etc. Unfortunately, now all he does is disguise his support in the form of deceitful campaign tricks,” Trump wrote on social media.
DeSantis celebrated the second-place finish, telling supporters, “Because of your support, in spite of all of that that they threw at us, everyone against us — we’ve got our ticket punched out of Iowa,” reported KSBY. Edging out Haley may be just what he needs to stay in the race, as his campaign is running short on funds.
“I am not going to make any excuses and I guarantee you this: I will not let you down!” he told supporters, per the NYT.
Haley ignored her third-place finish, instead suggesting to supporters that the results showed the race for the Republican nomination was down to her and Trump.
“When you look at how we’re doing in New Hampshire, in South Carolina, and beyond, I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race,” she said, reported The Wall Street Journal.
