Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 15, 2024 / 22:00 pm (CNA).
The results of the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses are powering a strong start to former President Donald Trump’s 2024 bid to return to the White House.
As of just after 10 p.m on Monday Trump was winning 53 percent support from Republican caucus-goers in the Hawkeye State. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis trailed in a distant second place with 20 percent, while former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley lagged behind in third place at about 18 percent. Political novice and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy was at the back of the pack, with about seven percent.
The Associated Press had already called the race for Trump before 9 p.m.
Trump’s victory represents a sharp break with previous voting patterns by Iowa Republican caucus-goers, who since 2008 have traditionally favored the most socially conservative, pro-life candidate.
In 2016, Trump received only 24% of the vote in a close contest that was won by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who prevailed with more than 27% of the vote.
In 2012, the contest was won by former Sen. Rick Santorum, while in 2008 former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee led the field.
Citing a CBS poll, Kelsey Pritchard, the director of state public affairs at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told CNA that nearly three-fourths of Iowa’s Republican voters believe that an unborn child’s life in the womb should be protected in all or nearly all cases. Lawmakers in the state approved a heartbeat bill, but the legislation has been blocked by the courts.
“Our next president needs to stand for national protection [of the unborn] so babies are protected in states like Iowa,” Pritchard added.
When speaking about abortion in a Fox News town hall last week, Trump said he is “proud” to have gotten Roe v. Wade overturned and warned that “you have to win elections, otherwise you’re going to be back to where you were.”
While not getting specific, the former president said on abortion policy: “We’re going to get something that people want, that people like” and “I think you’re going to be happy in the end” when asked a question by a pro-life voter.
Trump nominated three of the six judges who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, which allows states to once again fully regulate abortion.
Yet, following an underwhelming performance from Republican candidates in the 2022 midterm elections, Trump publicly feuded with some pro-life groups and blamed aggressive pro-life Republican efforts for the losses. The former president has remained open to some federal abortion restrictions but has not committed to a 15-week ban on abortions and criticized DeSantis for signing a six-week ban in Florida.
“It’s obviously not costing him too much and he’s thinking there’s a good upside when he has to run in the general campaign,” Joshua Mercer, who edits The Loop, the daily newsletter for the political advocacy group CatholicVote, told CNA.
Mercer said “Trump was much too critical of pro-lifers” but said that Trump probably thinks that advocating for a federalist approach to abortion will “make it easier for him to campaign on [it] in the general election.”
In an interview with CNA, Mercedes Schlapp, a Catholic who served in the Trump administration, noted that “Roe v. Wade would have never been overturned” without Trump’s Supreme Court appointments.
She emphasized that “he listens to the pro-life community” and was the first sitting president to speak at the March for Life. “Trump delivered on the issue by basically providing strong constitutionalist judges,” Schlapp said.
Schlapp also argued that Iowans remember the economy under Trump and trust him more on national security issues and the border: “Basically things were just better with Trump.”
The lackluster performances by the two candidates racing neck-and-neck for second place, DeSantis and Haley, especially spells trouble for DeSantis, according to Mercer, because he put “so much time and energy” into the contest and “it just becomes that much more steep of a climb” for the governor.
Alternatively, Mercer noted that Haley “could pull off a surprise in New Hampshire,” which has a Republican base that is “more liberal and moderate.” However, he said she could still struggle “in future states that will be much more conservative.”
Schlapp pointed out that even if Haley performs strongly in New Hampshire, she will “run into the issue of South Carolina where President Trump dominates” and would probably need to “drop out” if she loses her home state.
The next Republican contest will be the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23. Then, the Nevada and Virgin Island caucuses will be held on Feb. 8, the South Carolina primary will be on Feb. 24, and the Michigan primary will be on Feb. 27. Idaho and Michigan caucuses will be held on March 2; the Washington, D.C., primary will be held on March 1–3, and the North Dakota caucus will be held on March 4.
There will be 16 contests on Super Tuesday, which is on March 5: Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia.
If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!
Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.
I don’t think the contest is as much about Pres. Trump winning a second term as it is about preventing Pres. Biden from winning a second term.
And I’m not even so sure it’s about Pres. Biden winning a second term as much as it is about making sure that VP Harris NEVER EVER becomes POTUS!!!!!! What a nightmare!
Frankly, I believe that Pres. Biden, perhaps this summer (2024) will shock the nation by withdrawing from the race, citing health concerns, and that the Democratic Party will NOT nominate VP Harris (her few attempts to serve in her office and her few “speeches” have proven her lack of knowledge and ability to run the country). I believe the Democratic Party will nominate First Lady Michelle Obama for the Presidency, and sadly, I believe that unless Pres. Trump is running against her, she will win by a massive landslide. I don’t think that either Gov. DeSantis or Gov. Haley has a chance with a hole in it of defeating First Lady Obama.
Pres. Michelle Obama would be a disaster for Christians. Pres. Barack Obama was at least willing to include Christians in discussions and made occasional positive remarks about religion, even attending church once during his Presidency. (possibly more times that didn’t get publicized?).
But First Lady Michelle Obama is much more extreme, a follower of some very dangerous teachers and philosophers, and very capable of getting her will accomplished. She is intelligent, healthy, beautiful, and fairly young. The various liberal groups in the U.S. (media, entertainment, universities, extreme left organizations like teachers’ unions, the pro-abortion organizations, the women’s organizations, liberal-leaning churches like the still very large United Methodists (also the ELCA), and sadly, many African American groups, including African American churches) are her willing acolytes.
I would love to see a younger person as President (Pres. Trump is certainly no spring chicken!). But not First Lady Obama! I’m not even sure that Pres. Trump can defeat her in a Presidential election, but I think he is the only one who can do it.
God help us.
If I’m correct, do I get to become a regular columnist on this website? 🙂
Dear Mrs. Sharon Whitlock. We are defenders of life, ALL life. We have an issue with your “I don’t think the contest is as much about Pres. Trump winning a second term as it is about preventing Pres. Biden from winning a second term”. We agree that Pres. Biden is too liberal and too old. But to give a free “get out-of-jail” ticket causes real concern. If it is published, see my “We surely have lost our moral way”.
God bless.
We surely have lost our moral way. It is not DeSantis! It is our hypocritical religious support of an amoral and mentally ill man and a danger to our democracy. The Republican Party in Iowa is controlled, more than in most states, by evangelical voters. 92% are “born-again”. National Catholic Reporter: Many Americans, including Catholics, voted for Donald Trump because they believed he was “pro-life.” Those who did were conned by the con artist himself. Others knew but did not care that his recently claimed “pro-life”. The only PRO Trump cares about is pro-trump.
Mercer said “Trump was much too critical of pro-lifers” but said that Trump probably thinks that advocating for a federalist approach to abortion will “make it easier for him to campaign on [it] in the general election.”
We continue to be blinded by Trump’s darkness, deafened by the silence of our complicit party and our Christian faith.
God save the home of the free.