Donald Trump won the Republican primary in Iowa on Monday evening, American media announced barely half an hour after the start of voting, consolidating his status as the big favorite of the right for the November presidential election.
The 77-year-old mogul, four times criminally charged, leaves his main rivals Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis far behind him, even if the results are still provisional and estimates continue to evolve. At the time of writing, Ron DeSantis had taken second place ahead of Nikki Haley, according to American media projections. In this very first Republican primary for the November presidential election in the United States, the current governor of Florida, credited with approximately 21% of the vote, narrowly beat the former American ambassador to the UN ( approximately 19%).
Despite the snowstorm that hit the Midwestern state and raised fears for participation, the ex-president is moving a little closer to a probable duel with Democrat Joe Biden, the current occupant of the White House.
Donald Trump, who according to the polls had one of the largest leads ever seen over his opponents (nearly 50% of voting intentions), had predicted a “tremendous” evening for his supporters.
“Trump is the candidate who dominates the Republican Party and the first race confirms this reality,” notes Julian E. Zelizer, professor at Princeton University, to AFP.
In the room where Mr. Trump is to speak in the evening, hundreds of his supporters, many of whom wore the typical red caps of Trumpists, took photos and toasted the health of their champion.
“Great Night”
Voters gathered at schools, libraries and fire stations across Iowa for the famous “caucuses,” or election meetings.
After a prayer and a recitation of the traditional pledge of allegiance to the American flag, representatives gave a speech in favor of their candidate before participants wrote their choice on a piece of paper.
Allan Latcham, 62-year-old voter and cardiologist, admits to having been “surprised” by the speed of the announcement of the results.
“It’s a great night,” he rejoiced, saying he wanted Mr. Trump to “return to Washington” because “he’s going to help with the border” – immigration is one of the subjects that mobilize the Republicans the most.
This is the first time since the 2020 election that Donald Trump faced the judgment of voters.
Invincibility?
This first moment of truth of the campaign weighs heavily: if the former president had not obtained the announced victory in Iowa, his image of invincibility risked being damaged for the rest of the race.
Starting next week, the highly orchestrated ballet of the primaries will take the candidates to New Hampshire, before, in turn, each of the 50 states votes until June.
In their sights, the national convention in July, which will officially nominate the Republican presidential candidate.
Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, the only woman in the race, has benefited from a recent rise in the polls. The fifty-year-old is the new darling of the right, much appreciated in particular by business circles.
As for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a forty-year-old conservative with shocking positions on immigration or abortion, he has bet everything on Iowa, traveling in recent months to each of the 99 counties.
Julia Talerico came to Des Moines for him, with modest hopes. “I knew Trump was going to win. I just wanted to help DeSantis come second,” she explains.
Glacial cold
A last minute unknown factor disrupted the equation: the cold.
The state was hit by a snowstorm and the thermometer was close to -30°C at the time of the vote, in addition to icy roads.
But Donald Trump’s voters, even convinced of their candidate’s victory, were motivated to vote in these conditions.
Donald Trump wants at all costs to knock out the competition to ensure victory before his trials begin – some of which put him at risk of prison.
The Republican will experience an extraordinary year in every way, punctuated by comings and goings between the courts and the platforms of meetings.
And the Democrats?
Already strong in the official support of his party, the outgoing president, Joe Biden, should, barring any major surprises, be designated in August as their candidate. And this, despite repeated criticism of the octogenarian’s age. Donald Trump’s dazzling victory in Iowa makes him the “clear favorite” of the Republicans in the presidential election, Joe Biden, himself a candidate for re-election, said on Monday. “He is the clear favorite of the other camp at this stage,” he said on the social network X, in a message calling for donations.
