Trump dominates, Haley surges support in latest Iowa poll

The gold standard poll predicts Trump will trounce his competitors, Nikki Haley could see a surge in momentum in the caucuses.

January 14, 2024

Ayrton Breckenridge

Former President Donald Trump speaks during Trump’s Commit to Caucus Rally at Des Moines Area Community College in Newton, Iowa on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. The Iowa caucuses take place on Jan. 15. Three years earlier on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump supporters stormed the capitol to stop the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.

Former President Donald Trump maintains his authoritative lead in the Des Moines Register/NBC News/ Mediacom Iowa Poll released Saturday.

The last Iowa poll before the caucuses shows that Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have lost some support, around 3 percent each, since the December edition of the Iowa Poll. It also shows that former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy gained support in December.

The poll of likely Iowa GOP caucusgoers found 48 percent support Trump, 20 percent support Haley, 16 percent support DeSantis, and 8 percent support Ramaswamy.

The poll is widely considered a gold standard poll for its accuracy in predicting the final results of the Iowa caucuses.

The poll also showed that enthusiasm among Haley’s supporters might be critical to Monday’s results.

Only 9 percent of Haley’s supporters are extremely enthusiastic while 49 percent of Trump’s supporters are extremely enthusiastic to support their candidate.

The plurality of her supporters are only mildly enthusiastic, according to the Iowa poll.

With caucusgoers having to bear frigid temperatures on Monday, some worry that it could affect voter turnout at the caucuses.

Trump attributed the win in the polling to his campaign organization.

“Our grassroots supporters have put us in a position to win, and now we have to show up to the caucus for President Trump on Monday and get the job done,” Trump said in a news release on Saturday. “We have to show up.”

About the Contributors

Liam Halawith, Politics Editor

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Liam Halawith is a third-year student at the University of Iowa studying Journalism and Mass Communication and minoring in Public Policy. Before his role as Politics Editor Liam was a politics reporter for the DI. Outside of the DI Liam has interned at the Cedar Rapids Gazette and the Southeast Iowa Union. This is his second year working for the DI.

Ayrton Breckenridge, Managing Visuals Editor

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Ayrton Breckenridge is the Managing Visuals Editor at The Daily Iowan. He is a senior at the University of Iowa majoring in journalism and cinema. This is his fourth year working for the DI.