Trump Sees Record Win in Iowa Caucus

• Former US Pres. Donald Trump has won the Republican Party's 2024 Iowa caucus, receiving over 56K votes (51.0%), compared to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' approximate 23K votes (21.2%) and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley's more than 21K votes (19.1%). Iacaucus2024
• Vivek Ramaswamy received over 8K votes (7.7%), compared to Ryan Binkley's 774 votes (0.7%), Asa Hutchinson's 191 votes (0.2%), and Chris Christie's 35 votes (less than 0.1%). Iacaucus2024
• Following Ramaswamy's fourth-place finish, the entrepreneur pulled out of the race for the GOP's presidential nomination and put his support behind Trump. Associated Press (LR: 3 CP: 5)
• The approximately 30% margin of victory for Trump is a record for an Iowa Republican caucus, previously held by Bob Dole's 13% victory in 1988. Associated Press (LR: 3 CP: 5)
• In proportion to these results, Trump, DeSantis, and Haley are projected to receive 20, 8, and 7 delegates, respectively, from Iowa's nearly 40 delegates. Out of the 2,429 delegates available nationwide, at least 1,215 are required to win the party's presidential candidacy. CBS (LR: 2 CP: 5)
• Speaking to supporters at his watch party in Des Moines, Iowa, following his victory, Trump claimed that America had to "come together" while stating that DeSantis and Haley "did very well" and are "very smart" and "very capable people." The former president also congratulated Ramaswamy for what he described as a "hell of a job" during the campaign. The Des Moines Register

Pro-Trump narrative:

• While the first half of 2023 suggested a tight race in Iowa, an exceptionally strong campaign by Trump and his team has resulted in a historic and record-breaking result for the state. As the DeSantis and Haley campaigns continue to flounder, the former president has stayed away from the GOP's string of pointless debates while maintaining a strong and simple message. Trump has dodged every possible Democrat bullet and continues to gather momentum as he eyes a return to the White House.
  Breitbart (LR: 5 CP: 3)

Anti-Trump narrative:

• Despite being a state known for its religious affiliations, it is the cult of Trumpism that dangerously threatens US democracy following Iowa's caucus results. As history has shown, however, this outcome — while undoubtedly a victory for Trump — doesn't mean he'll secure the presidential nomination. Faced with a trove of criminal charges and stiff competition from Haley in New Hampshire's primary, the US hasn't yet fallen for Trump's brand of authoritarianism.
  USA Today (LR: 3 CP: 5)

Nerd narrative:

• There is a 94% chance that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee for the 2024 US presidential election, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
  Metaculus (LR: 3 CP: 3)