After former President Donald Trump routed his opposition in the GOP vying for the party’s presidential nomination in 2024 in the recent Iowa caucuses, reports have emerged showing the massive funds used by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) to reach second and third place, respectively.
The former president won all counties in Iowa except one, defeating DeSantis, who came in second place, by about 30 percentage points.
Winning the Iowa caucuses was a top priority and necessity for many GOP presidential contenders, including Haley and DeSantis, who spent a combined $72 million in The Hawkeye State.
The amount of money spent on DeSantis and Haley’s presidential campaigns and Iowa and their inability to win the state caucuses indicates the strength of Trump’s grassroots support.
What a waste of money that Ron Desantis and Nikki Haley spent in Iowa just to get smoked by President Trump. pic.twitter.com/K8YFE7ySMK
— Constitutional Gator (@WeThePeople021) January 16, 2024
Haley spent $2 million more than DeSantis, marking the most out of any GOP presidential contender. The Florida governor and the former South Carolina governor amounted to more than half of the $123 million in advertisements spent by those vying for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination.
CNN reported that groups supporting Haley spent $37 million, while pro-DeSantis organizations spent $35 million in Iowa. In contrast, the former president spent $18.3 million in The Hawkeye State, where he cruised to victory in the caucuses on Jan. 15, 2024.
Following the Iowa caucuses results, Ramaswamy suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed the former president.
“Earlier tonight, I called Donald Trump to tell him that I congratulate him on his victory. And now going forward, he will have my full endorsement for the presidency,” Ramaswamy said.
Before the Iowa caucuses, polls showed that Trump would handily win the contest against his competitors.
CNN initially released an entrance poll, showing Trump won the contest with 53% support, followed by DeSantis at 21%, Haley at 18% and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 7%.
Among the issues shared by caucusgoers in Iowa were illegal immigration, the economy, foreign policy and abortion, according to Breitbart News.
Haley and DeSantis will head toward New Hampshire, where Republican primaries are scheduled for Jan. 23, 2024. Trump also holds a wide lead against other GOP presidential hopefuls in The Granite State.
