Donald Trump established himself as the great favorite of the Republicans for the November presidential elections in the United Statess by winning this Monday over his rivals Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis in the Iowa state primaries, in the midst of heavy snowfall, according to projections published in the American press.
(Also: The US electoral process begins: 5 keys to understanding the primaries in Iowa).
Barely half an hour after the start of voting, cnn and C.B.S. They predicted the result in favor of Trump, without knowing by how much.
Iowa has great weight in the campaign because if Trump did not obtain the victory that he expected, his image as the undisputed favorite could be diminished for the rest of the race.
In the evening, voters began to gather in schools, libraries and fire stations in this Midwestern state for the famous “caucuses” or electoral assemblies. After a prayer and the traditional pledge of allegiance to the American flag, the candidates' representatives gave a speech and then the participants wrote their choice on a sheet of paper.
(Be sure to read: Will democracy withstand the savage onslaught of misinformation in 2024?).
For the first time since he left power, Trump, who faces four criminal cases ranging from the appropriation of secret documents to the attempt to alter the results of the 2020 elections, faced the verdict of the voters.
The 77-year-old former president (2017-2021) enjoys an astonishing advantage in the polls over his rivals, of almost 50% of voting intentions. This makes him the great favorite to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the November presidential election. “I think we're going to have a tremendous night,” Trump said in a video posted on social media.
The magnate has had an army of volunteers who have been traveling to all corners of Iowa for months to mobilize voters.
The second place
The question is who will take second place. Will one of Trump's rivals manage to reduce some of his enormous lead and position himself well for the future? Five candidates are competing to block his path to the White House, but only two still seem to have a chance.
One is the former ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, the only woman in the race and highly regarded in business circles. The other is DeSantis, a conservative with very hard positions on immigration or abortion who has bet everything on Iowa.
(Also: Hunter Biden, son of the US president, pleads not guilty to tax evasion.)
“I ask you to come out, brave the cold and support me during the Iowa caucuses,” DeSantis told supporters Monday morning.
For more uncertainty, Iowa is covered by a thick blanket of snow and the thermometer is close to -30 degrees Celsius, which could reduce participation.
From left to right: Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, Asa Hutchinson and Vivek Ramaswamy.
Iowa leads the way
Starting next week, the primary calendar will take the candidates, who also include biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, to New Hampshire.
They will continue in the other states until June. In July, the Republican presidential candidate will be officially nominated during the national convention. Donald Trump wants to knock out the competition before his trials begin, some of which expose him to prison sentences.
The Republican will live an unusual year in every sense, with comings and goings in the courts.
Meanwhile, the Democrats also hold primaries but without much mystery. Except last minute surprise, Octogenarian President Joe Biden, who already has strong support from his party, will be designated the Democratic candidate in August despite criticism of his advanced age.
AFP
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