1:28
Donald Trump continues to target Ron DeSantis, who has been in trouble in recent days
Donald Trump keeps shooting at the ambulance. Once considered a potential rival to the former American president, Ron DeSantis is now the third man in the Republican primary.
Above all, the governor of Florida is not supported by certain elected officials in his state, namely Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, emphasizes Donald Trump on his social network Truth Social.
1:13
An update on tonight's program
It's just after 6pm in Des Moines, Iowa (1 hour in Paris). In about fifty minutes, this state's caucus begins: voters will meet in schools, libraries and fire stations.
After a prayer and a recitation of the traditional oath of allegiance to the American flag, representatives of the candidates give a speech in support of their champion before participants write their choice on a piece of paper
In the most rural areas, where only a few dozen people vote, the results will be available quickly after 7pm (2 hours in Paris).
However, in larger cities, results may not be available until around 4 or 5 a.m. Paris time.
0:54
An update on previous Iowa Republican caucuses
Even if he is the big favorite today, it is not guaranteed that Donald Trump will become President of the United States again in November. We have to go back to 2000 to see the winner of the Iowa caucus take up residence in the Oval Office a few months later.
- In 2020Donald Trump wins the caucus but loses the presidential election.
- In 2016, Ted Cruz wins the caucus, but Donald Trump, runner-up, is named the GOP nominee. He wins the presidential election.
- In 2012, Rick Santorum wins the caucus, but runner-up Mitt Romney is named the GOP nominee. He lost the presidential election.
- In 2008, Mike Huckabee wins the caucus, but John McCain, fourth, is named the GOP nominee. He lost the presidential election.
- In 2000George W. Bush wins the caucus and wins the presidential election.
0:48
Kamala Harris warns Republicans pose 'significant threat' to freedoms
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris said freedoms remain “deeply threatened” during a speech in South Carolina to mark Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, which coincidentally coincides with the Democratic election in Iowa.
“Freedom is never truly earned. It is built and earned in every generation,” she emphasized on X, ex-Twitter.
0:28
Iowa, a small state but a big symbol
Iowa and its 3 million residents will be represented by 40 delegates at the Republican convention, a drop in the bucket from the more than 2,400 delegates at stake nationally. But because Iowa voted first, it gained a reputation as a “barometer” for candidates eager to start the campaign well.
“The primaries are lengthy and cost the candidates a lot of money. If your campaign donors see that they have bet on the wrong horse, they will not hesitate to abandon you and bet on another,” deciphers Olivier Richomme, BFMTV.com Professor of American Civilization at Lumière University Lyon- 2.
>> Our article
0:16
For the Republican Party, “today marks the beginning of the end of Joe Biden’s presidency.”
“Today marks the beginning of the end of Joe Biden’s presidency,” said the GOP (Great Old Party, or “Grand Old Party”, in French, nickname of the Republican Party).
The Republican Party denounces in a video the record of the Democratic tenant in the White House and hopes that the Iowa caucus will help set in motion good momentum for Donald Trump (or one of his rivals) to take the Oval Office in November occupied.
01/15 at 11:52 p.m
For Iowa Republicans, immigration is more important than economics
Iowa Republicans heading to their state's caucuses today have considered immigration a top priority, according to a poll conducted for the AP News Agency. The economy could therefore take a back seat.
According to this poll, United States foreign policy, healthcare, abortion rights and even energy are priorities for far fewer respondents.
01/15 at 11:43 p.m
How will the weather affect the vote?
An unknown factor upsets the Republican favorite's equation at the last minute: the cold. The entire state has been hit by a snowstorm and the thermometer is expected to reach -30°C and the roads are icy by the time of voting.
Will Donald Trump voters, confident of their candidate's victory, be motivated to vote under these conditions?
Yesterday the billionaire appealed to his supporters: “Even if you come to vote and die, it's worth it.”
01/15 at 11:32 p.m
A minute to understand the Iowa caucus, the big start of America's presidential election
Today, Iowa is the first American state to participate in the Republican primary. Here this very special election is called the caucus. Here's everything you need to know in the video.
01/15 at 11:13 p.m
Who is Ron DeSantis, from “worthy successor” to Donald Trump to underdog in the Republican primaries?
At 45, the current governor of Florida has already had a long career: as a former soldier and lawyer, he was a three-time elected member of the House of Representatives.
He is ultra-conservative and has, among other things, banned LGBT and anti-racist depictions in schools, launched a crusade against Disney, which he considers too “woke,” and has spoken out strongly against abortion rights and aid to Ukraine.
01/15 at 11:01 p.m
Donald Trump is confident he will run in Iowa tonight
“I’ve never seen anything like this in Iowa.” An
The latest poll commissioned by NBC, covering the Atlantic, found that 48% of voters planned to vote for Donald Trump.
01/15 at 10:58 p.m
On X, Ron DeSantis, struggling in the polls, quotes Martin Luther King Jr.
Coincidentally, the Iowa caucus falls on the same day as Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.
In dire straits in the polls, the ultra-conservative and very right-wing Ron DeSantis took the opportunity to quote the figure of the American civil rights movement on his X account: “There is always time to do the right thing.”
01/15 at 10:40 p.m
How does the Iowa caucus work?
Voters will gather in schools, libraries and fire stations across the Midwest state from 7pm local time (2am BST).
How is the first caucus starting today in Iowa going? Explanations with our special correspondent Benoit Ballet.
01/15 at 10:20 p.m
Why the small state of Iowa is so important in the election campaign
This is his moment. Every four years, Iowa, a small rural state in the Midwest, moves into the spotlight on the American political scene with which the presidential primaries begin for over fifty years. The Republican Party is holding it this Monday, January 15th his first “caucuses”, a kind of neighborhood meeting in which supporters vote for their favorite candidate in the race for the White House.
Iowa and its 3 million residents will be represented by 40 delegates at the Republican convention, a drop in the bucket from the more than 2,400 delegates at stake nationally. But because Iowa voted first, it gained a reputation as a “barometer” for candidates eager to start the campaign well.
01/15 at 22:00 o'clock
Good evening everyone
Welcome to this live broadcast of the Iowa Caucus, the first round of the Republican Party primaries in the United States.
BFMTV.com will accompany you throughout the night to follow the results. The first trends are expected from 7 p.m. local time or 2 a.m. in Paris.