OPINION:
Former President Donald Trump cruised to victory in the Iowa caucuses on Monday, marking the so-called first big test of the 2024 primary season for Republican presidential candidates — but in the end, it was really no test at all for Mr. Trump, the dominant front-runner.
Mr. Trump’s blowout in blustery Iowa shouldn’t come as a surprise. Anyone who’s been paying even a little attention knows this race was never close. The legacy mainstream media tried mightily to make it a horse race over the past several months, but to no avail. On the eve of the first-in-the-nation caucuses in Iowa, Mr. Trump was enjoying an astonishing 34-point lead according to an average of polls.
Some saw Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as an early favorite in Iowa, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley was boosted by unrealistic media coverage, but Mr. Trump’s standing among the conservative Republican faithful in the Hawkeye State proved a bridge too far. The truth is that Iowa’s results are emphatic proof that Mr. Trump’s standing with grassroots Republican voters is as strong as ever. The 45th president has a deep connection with his supporters that is impossible to emulate.
When it was all said and done, Mr. Trump received a remarkable 51% of the vote, compared with 21% for Mr. DeSantis and 19% for Mrs. Haley. By posting this enormous number, Mr. Trump made history with his margin of victory in Iowa. The previous record in a Republican caucus was Bob Dole’s 13-point win in 1988.
As baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra used to say, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” But with Mr. Trump’s monster victory in Iowa, the Republican primary campaign is effectively over. Unaffiliated voters in the open New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23 will amount to a speed bump at best as Mr. Trump steamrolls his way to becoming the presumptive GOP nominee.
Through all the political indictments, sham lawsuits, coordinated attempts to throw him off the ballot, and well-funded opponents with high-profile endorsements, it wasn’t enough to slow Mr. Trump down. Everyone knows Donald Trump is New York tough, but this is now the stuff of legend. The American people appreciate strength and resilience, and that’s exactly what the former president is showcasing as he continues to navigate through unprecedented political waters.
Mr. Trump’s reelection in 2024 would be the biggest political story in American history, and he’s clearly benefiting from President Biden’s government election interference strategy, which appears to be backfiring in spectacular fashion. It seems that every time the Justice Department, a rogue Democratic prosecutor, or a left-wing judge makes an anti-Trump move, the former president goes up in the polls. Americans appear to be making a statement: Voters choose presidents, not bureaucrats, judges or prosecutors.
The Trump candidacy is getting a boost by Mr. Biden’s awful performance in office across the board. Indeed, the feeling of buyer’s remorse is palpable no matter what part of the country you find yourself in. Presidential reelection campaigns are, by definition, a referendum on the incumbent, and a stark contrast can be drawn by comparing Mr. Trump’s record in office with that of Mr. Biden.
As president, Mr. Trump ushered in the most vibrant economy in American history, and people were generally feeling good about things until China dropped COVID-19 on us. He also fought valiantly and won substantive victories on border security, and due to his strong foreign policy, America was at peace.
Mr. Trump was a president who kept his promises and delivered time after time after time.
On the other hand, since day one, Mr. Biden has brought an unmistakable feeling of malaise unseen since Jimmy Carter was president. The cost of living and gasoline prices due to Mr. Biden’s horrible policies are through the roof. There’s no other way to say it: Everything seems a lot more expensive.
But the damage Mr. Biden is doing doesn’t end with the economy. He opened our southern border and caused a fentanyl, humanitarian, and national security crisis in the process. America is now a catastrophic $34 trillion in debt on account of Mr. Biden’s irresponsible spending, and his only answer is to double down and put us in an even deeper hole. And on foreign policy, our adversaries don’t respect weakness, and weakness describes the Biden doctrine in a nutshell.
Right now, there is war in Ukraine and the Middle East, and China is on the march. The common denominator is the Biden presidency.
Public polls are reflecting just how disastrous the Biden presidency has been. For example, only 39% of Americans approve of the job President Biden is doing, compared with 57% who disapprove. The vast majority of Americans believe we are on the wrong track as a country by a whopping margin of 67% to 25%.
And according to surveys in critical general election battleground states, Mr. Trump is beating Mr. Biden by 5 points in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada. No wonder so many Democrats are nervous.
Donald Trump is asking voters if they are better off today than they were four years ago, and the answer has been a resounding no. Mr. Biden is in deep trouble.
• David N. Bossie is president of Citizens United and served as deputy campaign manager for Donald J. Trump for President.
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