US elections 2024 polls LIVE: Haley and DeSantis vie for second place within the Trump-led Iowa caucus race

Hours earlier than the Iowa caucus is about to begin, former president Donald Trump – and present Republican frontrunner –  took to his social media platform to lash out at his competitors.

While Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy meet with voters in Iowa hoping to swing their votes in favour of their campaigns, Mr Trump declared none of them might win.

“Nikki Haley can never win the General Election because she doesn’t have MAGA, and never will!!” Mr Trump wrote on Monday afternoon.

The former UN ambassador is proving to be a viable second-place candidate with polling from Iowa exhibiting her narrowing the sector between herself and Mr Trump. Though the previous president nonetheless maintains a big lead over her and different candidates.

“Ron DeSanctimonious, at least, is MAGA-Lite… Vivek Votes are wasted should come to “TRUMP.”,” the previous president wrote.

Florida Governor and 2024 Republican candidate Ron DeSantis is anticipated to carry a rally in Iowa shortly to talk with potential voters forward of the caucus tonight.

Ron DeSantis did all the pieces proper in Iowa. The Florida governor has checked all of the containers that Republicans should full if they’re to face an opportunity in Hawkeye State.

He accomplished the “Full Grassley,” named for Iowa’s long-serving Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, the place he visited all 99 counties within the state. He made the laborious promote at Iowa’s State Fair. He acquired the endorsement of Kim Reynolds, the state’s governor, and Bob Vander Plaats, the pinnacle of the Iowa Family Leader and a kingmaker.

Mr DeSantis has staked all the pieces on Iowa, a state that ought to have been an ideal match for him.

But simply 4 days earlier than the first-in-the-nation contest, former President Donald Trump continues to be blocking out the solar in FiveThirtyEight’s polling common within the state. At 52.3 per cent, Mr Trump stays far forward of Mr DeSantis, who has now even misplaced the second spot to Ms Haley, who’s at 17.7 per cent to Mr DeSantis’s 16.2 per cent.

Mr Vander Plaats tells The Independent that Mr DeSantis “needs to convince those who are supporting Nikki Haley, ‘listen, you want an alternative to Trump? I’m your guy’. And he needs to convince the Trump voters – ‘Hey, if you want all the good of Trump, but without all the drama, then I’m your guy’”.

Despite record-low temperatures, a wind chill warning and snowy circumstances, the Iowa caucus will proceed as deliberate in all 99 precincts.

A spokesperson for the Iowa Republican Party advised The Washington Post that no precinct had modified its location or closed at the moment because of the climate.

We’re not listening to that at the moment,” Kush Desai advised the newspaper. “If it happens, these would be one-off situations.”

Mr Desai stated that it’s not typical for precincts to alter beneath sure circumstances.

Ahead of the Iowa caucus on Monday, last polling from The Des Moines Register, NBC News, and Mediacom confirmed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis misplaced the help of Iowans during the last month.

When requested in December 2023 if Mr DeSantis can be their first selection, 19 per cent of respondents stated he was.

But when requested in January 2024 if Mr DeSantis was their first selection, 16 per cent of respondents stated he was.

The drop is small however signifies that Mr DeSantis is shedding momentum with major voters – sometimes probably the most politically energetic members of communities.

Instead, Nikki Haley has gained momentum having jumped from 16 per cent in December 2023 to twenty per cent in January 2024.

An already intense winter storm, made worse by frigid wind chills is anticipated to make elements of Iowa really feel within the -20s°F or -30s°F.

The National Weather Service issued a wind chill warning for elements of Iowa because the caucus goes underway and reminded those who frostbite can happen in simply minutes of publicity to the cruel circumstances.

Former president Donald Trump instructed a local weather protester to “go home to mommy” after the activist interrupted an Iowa rally, accusing him of taking tens of millions from oil and gasoline executives as president.

“Trump, you’ve taken millions!” a demonstrator yelled on 14 January in the midst of Mr Trump’s speech, held at some point earlier than the Iowa caucuses.

The former president snapped, “Thank you, darling. Thank you.”

A smile emerged on the Republican candidate’s face as the group booed on the protester. Mr Trump then snapped, “Go home to mommy. Your mommy’s waiting.”

Iowans are making ready for the coldest state caucus on record, with a number of inches of snow and arctic temperatures throughout the state on Monday.

The caucus is a much-anticipated occasion thought of the start of the presidential election season. The Iowa Republican caucuses will decide how lots of the state’s 40 Republican National Convention delegates every candidate will get.

Nearly all of Iowa is beneath a wind chill warning by way of caucus day into Tuesday, with some areas reaching as little as –35F (-37C). The National Weather Service stated the temperatures are “life-threatening” and able to inflicting frostbite in simply ten minutes.

The coldest wind chills are anticipated to hit Monday by way of Tuesday morning, simply when Iowa residents might be travelling to their caucus areas all through the night.

Meteorologists are forecasting mild snow later within the week, far lower than final week when Iowans noticed greater than a foot in some areas.

Meanwhile, the state noticed a number of inches of snow, excessive winds and harmful journey circumstances as residents ready for the caucuses final week.

Weather-related automotive crashes have been reported all through final week. The Iowa State Patrol posted on X to warn towards journey, sharing pictures of a patrol automotive struck from behind on Interstate 80 with a number of inches of snow on the bottom.