When Donald Trump won a majority of the vote on the frigid night of the Iowa caucuses, journalists and pundits knew it was an impressive victory, even for those who can't forgive him. I had to admit that.
It didn't last long.
By the next morning, a counterspin had occurred. True, Trump was getting his 51 percent of the vote, but that means nearly half of Iowa Republicans voted against him.
Why did Trump win in a landslide while DeSantis did well in second place?
Well, good luck. Trump beat out three other candidates, with his closest rival Ron DeSantis getting 21%. It would have been different if the former president had faced just one opponent, but that wasn't the case. DeSantis and Nikki Haley are still in the race, polarizing the anti-Trump Republican Party, but Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamay have dropped out.
CNN anchor Phil Mattingly said, “The incumbent who got 51 votes in the Iowa caucuses is not great, and the incumbent, who makes up 30 percent of the party, says they don't want him if he's convicted.'' “Voters who feel the same way don't feel the same way.” It's a problem to support him. ”
Another way to look at it is that two-thirds of Iowa Republican voters said in an entrance poll that they would continue to support Trump even if he were convicted of criminal charges. Other candidates will be toast. Gauging his chances in the general election is certainly debatable.
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks at an election town hall in Rye, New Hampshire, on January 2, 2024. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
As I noted in “Special Report,” MSNBC refused to air President Trump's victory speech, with Rachel Maddow saying, “As a news organization, knowingly broadcasting falsehoods comes at a price. is the fundamental truth of our business and everyone's business.” we. ” He didn't say a word. Even if he wins the nomination or returns to the White House, will the networks continue to censor him?
CNN broadcast a few minutes of Trump's speech after Jake Tapper stopped speaking as he began talking about the “invasion” of illegal immigrants. But to Tapper's credit, he went on to talk about the historic nature of Trump's Iowa victory.
Hunter was deaf, Austin hid prostate cancer, and both hurt the president.
“NBC and CNN refused to air my victory speech, and I think they are crooked and dishonest and, frankly, they should take away their licenses and whatever they took away,” Trump said at the rally. ” he said.
Cable news is not regulated by the FCC, so CNN doesn't have a yak permit. But will President Trump threaten to take NBC off the air again?
Mr. DeSantis complained that cable news channels and the Associated Press were predicting Mr. Trump the winner 30 minutes after the caucuses began. “They called an election before people even had a chance to vote,” the Florida governor said.
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Waterloo, Iowa, on December 19, 2023. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
But unlike in primaries, where early predictions can discourage voters, by that point all caucus attendees had lined up for the three-hour rally.
The Wall Street Journal editorial board said DeSantis has no path to the nomination and should resign after his “disappointing” performance in Iowa.
The focus then shifts to New Hampshire. There, one “shocking” poll had Ms. Haley tied with Mr. Trump, but another poll had Ms. Haley leading the former president by 16 points.
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley receives an endorsement from New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu during an election town hall in Manchester, New Hampshire, December 12, 2023. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
Haley forced ABC to cancel the Manchester debate by refusing to attend unless President Trump attended. She correctly decided that another session of punching each other with DeSantis wouldn't help her, and he's already sent most of his staff to South Carolina and is irrelevant in New Hampshire.
There are two schools of thought regarding Haley. One is that if Mr. Trump's former U.N. ambassador leads him in New Hampshire, or comes within a few points, the media momentum could change the race. The state, where Democrats and independents can vote in the Republican primary, is ideally suited to Haley and her message.
The second scenario is that even if she captures the Granite State, Hayley has nowhere to go but fall. Trump is likely to embarrass the former South Carolina governor in her more conservative home state and potentially overwhelm her in her subsequent election rush.
Subscribe to Howie's Media Buzzmeter Podcast for the hottest stories of the day
Meanwhile, Trump once again dominated post-Iowa coverage by appearing in a Manhattan courthouse where author E. Jean Carroll's second defamation lawsuit is unfolding. The only issue at issue is damages, as Carroll won $5 million in a previous lawsuit in which he was also found liable for sexual assault in the 1990s, a charge Trump vehemently denies.
Yesterday, a judge reprimanded Trump for making comments audible to the jury and threatened to remove him from the courtroom. President Trump said, “I would love to do that.''
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The other candidates clearly don't like the political world in which Donald Trump dominates the news.
