The first Republican primary contest is over, and former President Donald Trump won. It took less than an hour for the former president to declare victory in Iowa. CNN, Fox News, and CBS News don’t need to wait all night to see who won this contest. The doors closed at 7 PM CST, and it took precisely 32-33 minutes for the preliminary figures to show that Iowa was Trump country.
Again, this was expected. The former president held a commanding lead going into this contest, which never dissipated. All eyes now focus on Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley concerning who can clinch the number two spot, but let’s not act like this is a competitive primary. It’s not. Donald Trump is going to be the 2024 Republican nominee.
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UPDATE: And now The Associated Press and Decision Desk call it for Trump:
UPDATE II: Trump has released the following statement:
The people of Iowa sent a clear message tonight: Donald Trump will be the next Republican nominee for President. It’s now time to make him the next President of the United States.