Trump downplays whether he’ll top 50% in Monday night’s GOP presidential caucuses

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DES MOINES, IA – Donald Trump is assured he’ll do “very well” in Monday night’s Iowa caucuses, which lead off the 2024 Republican presidential nominating calendar.

But the previous president isn’t able to make a prediction on if he’ll top 50%.

As he left his lodge in Des Moines on Sunday, Trump was requested by Fox News’ James Levinson about whether he would obtain greater than 50 % of the vote in the caucuses.

“I don’t know, I think we are doing very well,” Trump answered. The former president is the commanding front-runner in the newest polls in Iowa in addition to in nationwide surveys in the GOP presidential nomination race as he makes his third straight White House run.

WHAT THE FINAL POLL BEFORE MONDAY’S IOWA GOP PRESIDENTIAL CAUCUSES SHOWS

Donald Trump fights against expectations in Iowa

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Trump grabbed 50% assist, or increased, in a slew of polls over the previous month in Iowa. And he stood at 48% assist in the ultimate Des Moines Register/Mediacom/NBC News ballot of seemingly Republican caucusgoers was launched Saturday evening. His closest rivals – former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – stood at 20% and 16% in the brand new survey.

The intently watched and extremely anticipated survey, performed by longtime pollster Ann Selzer, has a well-earned custom of accuracy in previous GOP presidential caucuses, and is taken into account by many because the gold commonplace in Iowa polling.

DESANTIS BETS BIG ON IOWA – WILL IT PAY OFF ?

DeSantis marketing campaign supervisor James Uthmeier, in a Sunday look on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom,” argued that “expectations are high for Trump…he’s got to perform. If he gets less than half the vote, more people voting against him than for him. I think that’s, you know, setting up doom down the road.”

And Haley, in an interview on the identical program, famous that individuals will likely be seeking to see if Trump “is falling below 50%.”

Longtime Republican strategist David Kochel, a veteran of quite a few GOP presidential campaigns and statewide contests in Iowa, advised Fox News “there are two campaigns going on in Iowa right now.”

“One is Trump vs. his expectations and the other one is Haley vs. DeSantis to see who gets the right to take on Trump one-on-one,” famous Kochel, who stays impartial in the Republican presidential caucuses.

Trump made historical past final 12 months as the primary former or present president to be indicted for a criminal offense, however his 4 indictments, together with prices he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss, have solely fueled his assist amongst Republican voters.

HALEY KNOCKS MEDIA EXPECTATIONS BUT LOOKS TO ‘BIG SHOWING’ IN IOWA

But Trump and his marketing campaign have been trying to downplay the excessive expectations he faces in Iowa.

“No one has ever won the Iowa caucus by more than 12%,” Trump marketing campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita advised Fox News Digital on Saturday. “I think the public polls are a little rich.”

Trump, talking with reporters on Sunday, took goal at media consideration over Iowa expectations.

“There seems to be something about 50% now. It doesn’t matter,” Trump argued. “I think they’re doing it so that they can set a high expectation. So if we end up with 49%, which would be about 25 points bigger than anyone else ever got. They can say he had a failure, it was a failure. You know fake news.”

While he takes goal at expectations, Trump can be urging his supporters to point out up on the caucuses.

“Tomorrow, Jan. 15, I need each and every one of you to get out. Everybody get out. Just get out and vote,” Trump urged his supporters at a rally Sunday in Indianola, Iowa.

BLIZZARD DERAILS IOWA CAMAPIGN EVENTS, WILL BELOW ZERO TEMPS DEPRESS CAUCUS TURNOUT?

At an Iowa rally earlier this month, Trump touted to supporters that “we’re leading by 30 to 40 points.”

However, he added that “the poll numbers are scary because we’re leading by so much.”

Donald Trump in Iowa

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a marketing campaign rally at Terrace View Event Center in Sioux Center, Iowa, Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

 “We’re not taking any chances,” Trump emphasised as he took goal at potential complacency amongst his supporters. “The biggest risk is, you say you know what? He’s winning by so much, darling. Let’s stay home and watch television. Let’s watch this great victory. And if enough people do that, it’s not going to be pretty. But we’re not going to let that happen.”

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The Trump marketing campaign in Iowa shifted into a better gear weeks in the past, and the previous president picked up the tempo of stops in the state. High profile surrogates have additionally parachuted into Iowa to marketing campaign on the previous president’s behalf. Additionally, the marketing campaign educated practically 2,000 caucus captains in precincts throughout the state. 

“Their sole job is to run each individual caucus that takes place and making sure that the list of the targeted voters supporting President Trump show up,” LaCivita highlighted.

Trump campaign HQ in Iowa

The Donald Trump 2024 marketing campaign Iowa headquarters, in Urbandale, Iowa on Jan. 14, 2024  (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

“We’ve built an operation in over 1,800 caucus locations with straight up volunteers, neighborhood by neighborhood. They know the area and they know who’s caucusing in their area and they’ll be following up with them, making sure they vote,” he mentioned. “Our focus and our premium has been on people.. and we think it’s going to bear fruit in a big way.”

The Trump marketing campaign’s floor sport operation in Iowa is leagues forward of his 2016 effort, when he narrowly misplaced the caucuses to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. 

“Ted Cruz won in 2016 because his ground game was fantastic,” Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann, who stays impartial in the Republican nomination race, advised Fox News.

Pointing to the 2024 Trump marketing campaign, Kaufmann mentioned “their ground game has increased immensely.”

Get the most recent updates from the 2024 marketing campaign path, unique interviews and extra at our Fox News Digital election hub.

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