Conservatives in the Senate are rallying behind former President Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee following Monday's landslide victory in the Iowa caucuses.
“Trump’s victory tonight once again demonstrates the shift in the Republican base,” Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “This is now the party of the working class. D.C. Republicans need to understand that.”
Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a former football coach, told X: “Can we stop pretending this is a real primary and start trying to beat Joe Biden?” I wrote.
“Defeating Joe Biden will not be easy,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said in a post on X, adding, “It will take a collective effort.”
In another post, Lee congratulated President Trump on his quick victory in Iowa.
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“Trump’s victory tonight once again demonstrates the shift in the Republican base,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, wrote in X. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
“Defeating Joe Biden will not be easy, but it is absolutely necessary. No other Republican has a chance of winning the nomination. Therefore, it is imperative that the Republican Party starts supporting Trump. No,” he wrote.
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) also congratulated Trump on his victory in a post, using the hashtag #TRUMP2024: “We're going to make America great again, again.”
Meanwhile, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) remained silent on the results.
Ahead of the Iowa caucuses, more Republican senators began supporting Trump. Just hours after North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum resigned and endorsed the former president, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) endorsed Trump. They are Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, Sen. Josh Hawley and Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri, and Sen. Tom of Arkansas. -Senator Cotton joined nearly 20 Republican senators, including South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, in endorsing Trump.
Trump gains more support from Senate Republicans
Senator Mike Lee during his nomination hearing on May 17, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Cheris May/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
of Fox News Decision Desk He predicted Trump's candidacy at 8:31 p.m. ET, 30 minutes after caucuses began across the Hawkeye State.
The former president's lightning victory in Iowa was an early and significant victory in his bid to return to the White House. His rivals for the nomination remain Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who came in second place in the Iowa caucuses with a nearly 30-point lead over Mr. Trump, and Nikki DeSantis, who came in third place behind Mr. DeSantis. Includes former Ambassador Haley.
“I want to thank the great people of Iowa,” President Trump said in his caucus victory speech in Des Moines, the state capital and largest city.
Trump made history last year as the first former or current president to be indicted for a crime, but the four indictments, including charges that he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss, are among Republican voters. It only increased Trump's support.
Mr. Trump's victory on Monday night was the largest margin in Iowa's Republican presidential caucus history, easily surpassing the previous winning margin of 12.8% set in 1988 by the late Sen. Bob Dole.
FOX News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
