Trump triumphs as frontrunner in presidential race

Washington: Donald Trump scripted a decisive victory in the Iowa caucuses, cementing his status as the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, a contest that also saw Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy ending his bid and backing the former US president. Iowa is the first of the state-by-state contests where Republican Party voters pick their candidate who will almost certainly face Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the November 5 presidential election. Despite facing a number of legal challenges, Trump, 77, won the Iowa caucuses in a landslide with Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida securing a critical but distant second-place finish in the contest that took place amidst blistering cold.

Trump won 51 per cent of the votes, an unprecedented margin, kickstarting his bid to win his party's third consecutive presidential nomination. Trump's victory was the largest margin in the history of Iowa's Republican presidential caucuses, easily surpassing the previous winning margin of 12.8 per cent set in 1988 by the late Senator Bob Dole. With about 94 per cent of the results that have been recorded, CNN reported that Trump will receive 20 of Iowa's 40 delegates. DeSantis is estimated to get eight delegates, Haley to get seven delegates and Ramaswamy will receive two delegates. There are 3 delegates unallocated. There are a total of 2,429 delegates up for grabs in the Republican primary season.

A candidate needs the backing of at least 1,215 delegates to win the nomination. Thanking "the great people of Iowa", an ebullient Trump said, adding that "it would be so nice if we could come together and straighten up the problems of the world. It's going to happen soon.” Amidst cheers from his supporters, Trump sought to patch things up with Ramaswamy and said, "He did a hell of a job. He came from zero, and he has a big per cent.” Out of the total votes, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis came in second with 21.2 per cent of the votes polled, as against 51 per cent by Trump.

Indian-American former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley came a close third with 19.1 per cent of the votes polled. Trump's landslide Iowa win is a stunning show of strength after leaving Washington in disgrace, the US media commented.

Trump is facing an unprecedented 91 criminal charges across four indictments and trials.