Former president Donald Trump won the Iowa caucuses on Monday, according to projections from the Associated Press and other outlets.
Trump was the heavy favorite heading into Monday’s vote, as he seeks to reclaim the White House. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations, are vying for second place.
The AP called the outcome only 30 minutes after the caucus began.
Trump has brushed aside his challengers in the Republican primary as he seeks a rematch with President Joe Biden. He is also facing four indictments on state and federal charges, many of which involve his refusal to accept defeat in 2020.
“I got indicted more than the late great gangster, Alphonse Capone,” Trump said at a rally in Indianola on Sunday. “Al Capone was indicted one time. I’ve been indicted four times because I said the election was rigged — and I was right.”
Trump’s supporters braved frigid temperatures in Iowa as they went to the caucuses for the former president.
Haley and DeSantis are hoping a second-place finish will help build momentum for the New Hampshire primary, on Jan. 23, and the South Carolina primary, on Feb. 24.
The last Iowa Poll, commissioned by the Des Moines Register, NBC News and Mediacomm, and released on Saturday, showed Trump winning the caucus with 48% of the vote, with Haley trailing at 20% and DeSantis at 16%. Vivek Ramaswamy was at 8%.
A CNN entrance poll showed that two thirds of caucus goers did not believe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election.