Live Blog: The 2024 Iowa Caucuses

That’s all, folks. Trump won. He won big league, probably by the biggest margin ever. Clinching over 50 percent of the vote and winning by more than 20 points is a clear mandate that the GOP base wants Trump as their 2024 nominee. Ron DeSantis came in second, with Nikki Haley coming in third. Ms. Haley couldn’t find enough Democrats in Iowa to pull off an upset. 

There was controversy regarding the media calling the contest, which was roughly 30 minutes once the caucus doors were closed. This was never a competitive contest, despite what the sore losers might think. Trump was always going to win Iowa. It’s not election interference when Trump wins in a landslide, which was projected months ago. The voters did pick the winner, disgruntled non-Trump GOP consultants. Your side just lost. 

The late Bob Dole once held the record for the biggest margin of victory in 1988, when he beat Pat Robertson by almost 13 points. 

We’ll be back for the New Hampshire primary on January 23.

NIKKI HALEY: "Tonight, Iowa made this Republican primary a two person race!" pic.twitter.com/bA97gUFp5b

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 16, 2024

More on the mainstream media scramble:

Haha CNN @jaketapper has to immediately cut off trump’s victory speech in Iowa the moment he talks about policy, seconds after he says the southern border is openCompletely corrupt media

— Gregg Re (@gregg_re) January 16, 2024

Madeline Leesman:

MSNBC host @maddow says NBC and other mainstream news networks have decided not to show Trump’s victory speech. CNN had him on briefly but then cut away and replaced him with @jaketapper who says “caucus goers believe the lie.” pic.twitter.com/dnUHEB1wqH

— Michael Shellenberger (@shellenberger) January 16, 2024

Late to the party, Biden is now fundraising off Trump's Iowa landslide:

Looks like Donald Trump just won Iowa. He’s the clear front runner on the other side at this point.But here’s the thing: this election was always going to be you and me vs. extreme MAGA Republicans. It was true yesterday and it’ll be true tomorrow.So if you’re with us, chip…

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 16, 2024

Trump is set to win all 99 countries in Iowa. 

Vivek Ramaswamy has indeed suspended his campaign and is endorsing Trump as the only other Americas First candidate in the race.

From here, it's on to New Hampshire for the first-in-the-nation primary later this month. DeSantis is making a pit stop on Tuesday morning in South Carolina for a meet and greet hosted by the Never Back Down PAC before heading to New Hampshire for two days of events in the Granite State. 

Vivek Ramaswamy endorses Trump after coming in 4th in Iowa. 

So there you have it: Trump with a historic caucus victory, DeSantis in a distant second, Haley in a close third, Ramaswamy in fourth and leaving the race. 

We may be getting some Ramaswamy news tonight...

Ramaswamy told staff in a private meeting he will endorse Trump on stage tonight in Iowa, in minutes, sources told me.

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) January 16, 2024

MSNBC host @maddow says NBC and other mainstream news networks have decided not to show Trump’s victory speech. CNN had him on briefly but then cut away and replaced him with @jaketapper who says “caucus goers believe the lie.” pic.twitter.com/dnUHEB1wqH

— Michael Shellenberger (@shellenberger) January 16, 2024

"We don't want people in our country who want to blow up our shopping centers thank you very much." -Trump on Iran being broke during his first term and banning unvetted people from terror hotspots around the world 

TRUMP: "I go to a lot of courthouses because of Biden."

Vivek announces he'll be holding a press conference in about 15 minutes:

So proud of our team. Press conference at 10:15 CT at Surety Hotel in Des Moines. We will livestream on X.

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) January 16, 2024

Donald Trump is taking the stage now and giving well wishes to his primary opponents. I'm waiting for the insults to come. What universe am I in lol?

Trump speaking now in Iowa: "What a turnout, what a crowd."

"This is the time for our country to come together," Trump says. 

Fox News Decision Desk confirms this, calling it a "slight edge" for DeSantis that's "developing," according to Bret Baier. 

Spencer Brown:

DeSantis hanging on to a ~2,000 vote lead out of the 92,000+ votes counted so far. 

While votes continue to come in, there are two counties (of Iowa's 99) that still have yet to report any data: Franklin County and Jefferson County.