Donald Trump has won a landslide victory in the Iowa caucuses, cementing his status as the clear frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination
But Florida Governor Ron DeSantis edges out former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley to take a distant second place, the BBC’s US partner CBS projectsTrump hails his victory in a speech to supporters, saying he wants to “straighten up the problems of the world”
Iowa is the first of the state-by-state contests where Republican voters pick their White House candidate
Haley had hoped to ride polling momentum to come second, but DeSantis’s relentless campaigning in the state paid off
Meanwhile biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy drops out of the race and endorses Trump – he had caused a stir in early debates but failed to gain traction.
Whoever wins the Republican nomination will face a Democrat, almost certainly Joe Biden, in the November presidential election. (BBC)
