Trump, Haley and DeSantis make final pitches in frozen lowa

Donald Trump and his Republican competitors are making last-ditch efforts to gain support in Iowa, just hours before the state’s voters begin the 2024 presidential election.

Candidates are hosting closing events, but cold weather has affected the final days of campaigning.

A big victory in Iowa would cement Mr Trump’s position as the frontrunner.

His opponents, however, are attempting to identify themselves as the primary alternative to the former president.

On Monday night, Republican voters will gather at one of over 1,500 caucus sites across the Midwestern state to declare their favorite presidential candidate. All of the contenders have urged voters to endure the harsh cold, with temperatures expected to drop to -30C (-20F), and participate in the contest, despite concerns that the weather will reduce turnout.

The contest will then go state by state until an eventual nominee is chosen, who will almost definitely fight Joe Biden in the November general election.

Iowa has a poor track record of selecting the eventual Republican nominee, and has not done so since 2000, when voters in the state supported George W Bush.

Mr Trump hosted a rally in Indianola on Sunday, calling on his followers to attend. “Together we’re going to make history but you have to show up,” he told the crowd. “The outcome in this state will send a message to the entire country and, in fact, the entire world.”

The former president, 77, hopes to deliver a knockout blow to his opponents and win by a large margin. “We’re looking to set records,” he declared during a virtual rally on Friday.

His campaign has depended primarily on grassroots efforts, with regular “commit to caucus” gatherings serving as practice runs for the real thing on Monday. These events, where Iowans are recruited by door-knocking “caucus captains,” frequently include an animated film on how to caucus, indicating how Mr Trump hopes to mobilize first-time voters and win large.

On Saturday evening, a final poll from the Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom revealed that Trump had a roughly 30-point advantage.

The well monitored survey revealed that Nikki Haley, the former US ambassador to the UN, had risen to second position after gathering momentum in recent days. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has invested heavily in Iowa, had slid to third place. Mr. DeSantis will be pressured to quit out if he does poorly on Monday, and the outcome could be vital to his candidacy.

Ms. Haley, 51, sought to minimize the results shortly after, claiming that the “real poll” will take place on caucus day. “We just want to come out of Iowa strong,” she went on to say.

A strong finish in the state would provide the Haley campaign with critical momentum going into the next contest in New Hampshire, where she is polling within 10 points of Mr Trump. Following that, the next battle will be in her native state of South Carolina, where she previously served as governor.