January 13 GOP primary campaign updates

Our live coverage has ended. Read more about the 2024 campaign and lead up to the Iowa caucuses in the posts below.

The final Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom poll before Monday’s Iowa caucuses finds former President Donald Trump holding on to a wide lead among likely GOP caucusgoers in the state. 

Overall, 48% of likely caucusgoers say Trump would be their first choice, 20% name former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, 16% Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, with the rest of the field below 10%. Trump stood at 51% in the December DMR/NBC poll and 43% in October, with his chief rivals in the teens in both of those prior polls. 

The final Iowa Poll from the Register in 2016 found Trump with 28% support to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s 23% with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio at 15%. Cruz edged Trump 28% to 24%, with Rubio at 23% in the final results from that year’s Iowa caucuses. 

 The DMR/NBC/Mediacom poll was conducted by telephone January 7-12 among a random sample of 705 likely Republican caucusgoers. Results for the full sample of likely caucusgoers has an error margin of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.

Former President Donald Trump lashed out at GOP rival Vivek Ramaswamy on Saturday, arguing on social media that the entrepreneur is “not MAGA.”

“Vivek started his campaign as a great supporter, ‘the best President in generations,’ etc. Unfortunately, now all he does is disguise his support in the form of deceitful campaign tricks,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump’s attack comes as the former president and his campaign have grown increasingly frustrated with what they claim are Ramaswamy’s disingenuous campaign tactics, Trump campaign advisers told CNN.

“Very sly, but a vote for Vivek is a vote for the ‘other side’ — don’t get duped by this. Vote for ‘TRUMP, don’t waste your vote! Vivek is not MAGA. The Biden Indictments against his Political Opponent will never be allowed in this Country, they are already beginning to fall! MAGA!!!” Trump added in his post.

Trump advisers said they haven’t seen anything in the polls to indicate that Ramaswamy was gaining on Trump in Iowa, adding that the president’s comments are solely based on Ramaswamy’s recent comments and posts.

Ramaswamy posted a photo to X on Saturday posing with supporters donning “Save Trump, vote Vivek” t-shirts, which showed a picture of Trump’s mug shot from when he was processed at the Fulton County jail in August.

Former President Donald Trump speaks to people as he arrives at his hotel in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday night.

Former President Donald Trump arrived at his hotel in Des Moines, Iowa, Saturday night and remarked on the subzero temperatures that caused him to cancel most of his campaign events this weekend.

Trump, who wasn’t wearing a tie, briefly fixed his hair after coming in from the cold before stopping to talk to some supporters in the lobby. He did not take questions from reporters.

Several Florida state lawmakers have swapped the clement climes of the Sunshine State for the polar ice cap that has settled over Iowa to lend a helping hand to their governor, Ron DeSantis, in the last hours of the Iowa caucuses campaign.

 The Florida delegation plans to work the phones all weekend — in the knowledge that many Iowans are stuck at home in historic and dangerous winter weather. Their arrival is being seen by DeSantis officials and prominent supporters as a reminder of DeSantis’ expectation-defying victories in Florida and a sign that he can defy the polls and pull off a win on Monday night.

With his campaign hanging in the balance, DeSantis seemed inspired by his visitors from back home.

“They can throw a blizzard at us and we are going to fight,” he said.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley greets her supporters at a campaign event in Iowa City, Iowa, on January 13.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Saturday reflected on the last 11 months of campaigning, telling the crowd at the James Theater in Iowa City that she “loved every minute of it.”

In her remarks, Haley emphasized the importance of the Hawkeye State and touted her financial background, telling voters, “There is light at the end of the tunnel, and it happens when you elect an accountant to the White House.”

Among the Iowa voters who attended the event were Dennis and Monica Hinkle, who said they have been impressed with Haley’s “international experience” and plan to caucus for the first time Monday despite the frigid forecast. The couple said they aren’t too worried the weather will affect turnout at the caucuses.

“We were very surprised to see as many people here today,” Monica Hinkle said. “To me, if that’s kind of a sign, I don’t see it to be a huge issue. … So it’ll be cold, but you know, that’s why we have really big winter coats.” 

A person tries to give Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a participation trophy during a campaign stop in Atlantic, Iowa, on January 13.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made a brief stop in Atlantic, Iowa, alongside his wife Casey; Texas Rep. Chip Roy; Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds; and evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats.

The restaurant where the stop took place was closed because of the weather, so the event was held in a community room in the back. McDonald’s cheeseburgers were provided for the intimate crowd.

“Thirty below, here we go,” Casey began, before she was quickly interrupted by a political comedian from the duo called “The Good Liars,” who handed DeSantis a small gold participation trophy.

“DeSantis, I want to present to you this participation trophy. Probably not gonna win the election right, but we’re proud of you trying,” he said. “He’s our little snowflake.”

DeSantis replied, “I don’t need a participation trophy.”

Watch the moment:

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A person crosses a snow covered street in Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday.

Iowa will have its coldest caucuses ever on Monday, as a dangerous Arctic blast dives into the central US this weekend and last through early next week. Monday is expected to be the coldest January day for Iowa in at least five years, with wind chills as low as minus 40 Fahrenheit.

Iowans will wake up to temperatures more than 15 degrees below zero on Monday morning. Nearly the entire state will fail to climb above zero degrees Monday afternoon, the exception being the far southeastern portion of the state that may reach a degree or two above zero. This would be the first time since February 2021 that the high temperature in Des Moines fails to reach zero degrees.

Add winds to this bitter cold and the wind chill will reach life-threatening levels at minus 20 to minus 40 degrees for the entire day.

The forecast average daily temperature for Des Moines on Monday is minus 9.5 degrees, nearly 20 degrees colder than the previous coldest caucus night on January 19, 2004, when the average temperature was 9 degrees, according to CNN analysis of NWS data for Iowa caucuses. Iowa has held caucuses every four years since 1972 in either January or February.

Record-shattering cold caucuses will be in store for the rest of the state as well. Sioux City is forecast to average minus 10 degrees on Monday, more than 20 degrees colder than the 11 degree average for the caucus in 2004. Cedar Rapids is forecast to average minus 9 degrees and Davenport minus 8 degrees on Monday. Previous coldest caucuses there averaged 5.5 and 8 degrees respectively on January 24, 2000.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on January 13.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley implored Iowans to carefully consider their choice at the Iowa caucuses on Monday night as voters brace for record low temperatures.

“Now Monday is going to be cold. Really cold. But what I’m asking is if you will take the time to not just go to the polls, take people with you. Wear layers, because you might be standing in line. Take your ID. But think of the fact that you might be making history in this moment,” Haley said during a morning speech in Cedar Falls, Iowa, according to C-SPAN video.

Haley also told the Iowa voters that it comes down to “what’s the direction that you want the country to go to.”

“You’ve got the opportunity to look back at the past and continue or go forward and start new,” she said.

The former governor also told voters that they will set the tone for the GOP primary, in contrast to her comments earlier this month saying that New Hampshire voters will correct what happens in Iowa. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis jabbed former President Donald Trump for canceling some planned campaign events in Iowa this weekend in favor of tele-rallies due to the winter storm across the state.

Speaking to reporters after a campaign event in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Saturday, DeSantis sought to highlight his commitment to campaigning in Iowa despite the severe weather conditions and to distinguish his efforts from Trump’s.

“Donald Trump I guess has phoned it in,” DeSantis said. “He’s just gonna be hanging out in Mar-A-Lago. I’m sure it’s probably 75 degrees there.” 

Trump, meanwhile, posted on social media Saturday that he’s on his way to Iowa.

“Heading to Iowa. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he wrote on Truth Social. 

Trump will speak to supporters in person at a campaign event in Indianola, Iowa, on Sunday.