Iowa entrance polls show MAGA fans turned out for caucus: Live updates
Donald Trump holds commanding lead over challengers Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy
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The 2024 Republican candidates are eagerly awaiting the results of the Iowa caucuses on Monday – though if polling tells us anything, it’s that Donald Trump has a predictable commanding lead over the other candidates.
In a survey, conducted by The Des Moines Register, NBC News and Medicom, 48 per cent of potential voters said the former president was their first choice of Republican presidential candidates.
Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley was behind Mr Trump with 20 per cent support followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with 16 per cent.
Vivek Ramaswamy had just 8 per cent while only 5 per cent of potential voters said they were still unsure.
Of the survey respondents more than half said they had their minds made up regarding who they would cast their vote for.
But for the 32 per cent who could still be persuaded to support a candidate, the presidential candidates are fighting hard to convince them to join their teams.
Earlier: Lloyd Austin grilled by Republicans over ‘embarrassment’ of handling of secret hospital stay
John Bowden reports from Washington, DC:
Republicans accused Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin of causing an international “embarrassment” on Thursday at a polarised hearing of the House Armed Services Committee called to examine the communications breakdown resulting from Mr Austin’s recent hospitalisation.
Mr Austin maintained that command and control authority had always been in the hands of an appropriate authority during his hospital stay while admitting to responsibilty for a failure to properly notify the White House, Congress, and the American public when his duties had been discharged to a deputy.
The US defence chief, 70, underwent treatment for prostate cancer after being hospitalised on 1 January. He was released after a roughly two-week stay, and later underwent a second, shorter visit to Walter Reed Medical Center in February for a “bladder issue”. His first hospital stay evolved into an awkward situation for the White House as it was revealed that President Joe Biden and national security adviser Jake Sullivan had not been notified that Mr Austin was in the hospital until several days had passed.
Read more...
Lloyd Austin grilled by Republicans over ‘embarrassment’ of secret hospital stay
White House continues to express support for Austin amid Republican attacks
Biden says border desperately needs more resources
President Joe Biden speaking at the Brownsville Border Patrol Station, says he spoke with border agents at the US-Mexico border: “They told me what they you already know and we already know— they desperately need more resources. Say it again: they desperately need more resources.”
The president said it was time for Speaker Mike Johnson and Republicans in Congress to “show a little spine”.
Biden begins remarks by addressing Texas wildfires
President Joe Biden began his remarks at the southern border at Brownsville, Texas, by addressing the massive wildfires in the north of the state.
“The idea that there’s no such thing as climate change — I love that, man. I love some of my Neanderthal friends who still think there’s no climate change.”
Here’s what you need to know about the fires:
Texas wildfires: Map of blazes ravaging the Panhandle
The Smokehouse Creek fire became the largest in state history on Thursday morning, burning 1m acres
Watch: Fox News cuts Trump speech to fact-check 2020 election claim
Trump repeats claim migrants coming from ‘prisons' and ‘insane asylums’
Today, Donald Trump added a new twist to his previous “poisoning the blood” remarks in December that were called out for echoing Nazi rhetoric.
In December, the former president said: “They’re poisoning the blood of the country. That’s what they’ve done … They poison mental institutions and prisons all over the world. Not just in South America. Not just the three or four countries we think about. But all over the world they’re coming into our country, from Africa, from Asia.”
Today at the southern border in Eagle Pass, Texas, Mr Trump had this to say about where migrants were coming from:
Watch: Trump makes bizarre claim about ‘languages coming to our country'
Trump slams ‘Joe Biden’ invasion at southern border
In remarks at the southern border in Eagle Pass, Texas, Donald Trump slammed the “Joe Biden invasion” claiming it has led to a surge in “migrant crime” and directly linking it to the death of Georgia college student Laken Hope Riley.
The former president claimed that jails and mental institutions around the world are being emptied into the United States and people are coming who speak languages that have not been heard of before here.
In pictures: Trump visits southern border at Eagle Pass, Texas
Duelling visits offer split-screen of likely 2024 opponents
Watch LIVE: President Joe Biden visits US-Mexico border
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