
<p>In a new well-respected Iowa poll, President Donald Trump holds an overwhelming lead while Ron DeSantis edges slightly ahead of Nikki Haley in the all-but meaningless battle for second place.</p>



<p>The former president’s support now tops 50% in Iowa, where Trump has only strengthened his already overwhelming lead over Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis — neither of whom has fully broken away as the clear second choice.  ;</p>



<p>A new Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows 51% of likely Republican caucus goers pick Trump as their first choice for president. That’s up from 43% in an October Iowa Poll. </p>



<p>DeSantis, who was tied with Haley at 16% in October, has gained 3 percentage points to pull away from her in second place with 19%. ;Haley had seen a burst of momentum in Iowa between August and October, growing her share of support from 6% to 16% following well-received debate performances. In recent weeks, she has snagged a major endorsement from Americans For Prosperity Action, part of the Koch political network, and has amassed support from major donors looking for an alternative to Trump.  ;</p>



<p>But those efforts have not resulted in a bump in the latest Iowa Poll, and she remains flat at 16% — even as other candidates have dropped out.  ;</p>



<p>No other candidate tops 5%.  ;</p>



<p>Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who says he is on track to campaign twice in each of Iowa’s 99 counties before Caucus Day, is in a distant fourth place at 5%. ;</p>



<p>That’s just a touch better than former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has not campaigned in Iowa at all and sits at 4%.  ;</p>



<p>Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who has not qualified to participate in the last three GOP debates, is at 1%. And Texas pastor Ryan Binkley is at 0% for the third straight poll.  ;</p>



<p>While the rest of the field is largely stagnant, Trump’s hold on his front-runner status has only gotten stronger — even as his criminal trials advance and his legal fights come into sharper focus.  ;</p>



<p>With five weeks until Caucus Day, there’s still room for movement, even as likely Republican caucusgoers begin cementing their decisions. Forty-nine percent of poll respondents say their minds are made up, while another 46% say they could still be persuaded to support another candidate. ;</p>



<p>More good news for Trump: According to the poll, 73% say they believe Trump can win against Biden, regardless of his legal challenges. That&#8217;s up from 65% in October. ;</p>



<p>And only 24% say Donald Trump’s legal challenges will make it nearly impossible for him to win an election against Joe Biden — down from 32% in October.</p>

As Iowa Draws Closer, Trump Maintains a Crushing Lead!
