’Trying To Make Up Our Minds’: Iowa Voters Say Trump Lead May Not Be As Airtight As It Seems
Kate Anderson on December 9, 2023
- Iowa voters told the Daily Caller News Foundation at an event in Sioux Center, Iowa, that they don’t think Trump’s lead in the polls is accurate because voters haven’t made up their minds.
- Most of the voters who spoke to the DCNF said that they felt the majority of Iowans were looking for the best candidate to not only beat Biden, but to take the nomination from Trump.
- “I think the majority of people, at least what I have seen, want someone for eight years, not four, but they also are concerned because Trump did not win against Biden,” Nicole, a voter at the event, told the DCNF.
SIOUX CENTER, IOWA— Voters in Iowa aren’t sure that former president Donald Trump’s lead in the polls is going to last as many have not yet made up their minds as to who they want as the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, many told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa held a “Faith & Family with The Feenstras” event in Sioux Center, Iowa, on Saturday with presidential candidates Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, business mogul Vivek Ramaswamy and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. The DCNF spoke with voters before the event, and many noted that while Trump seemed to be maintaining a significant lead in the polls, they felt that a surprise could be coming come January once Iowans make up their mind.
“I think that those who are Trump supporters are very strong Trump supporters,” Michelle, an occupational therapist, told the DCNF. “I feel like those that aren’t sure are kind of like us, where we’re like, as far as polling goes, ‘Oh, I don’t know. You know, we’re just trying to make up our minds.’ So the polling will not reflect that.”
Trump is currently leading in Iowa at 47.3% with DeSantis coming in second at 18.7%, according to RealClearPolitics. Another Iowa voter, Jessica, said that she had similar thoughts about the polling and that finding a candidate with a strong sense of “morality” is important to a lot of Iowans because strong values have significantly “declined” in the past few years.
Most of the voters who spoke to the DCNF said that they felt the majority of Iowans were looking for the best candidate to not only beat Biden, but take the nomination from Trump.
“I think the majority of people, at least what I have seen, want someone for eight years, not four, but they also are concerned because Trump did not win against Biden,” Nicole, a voter at the event, told the DCNF.
DeSantis was often touted as the favorite by voters at the event, with many citing his record in Florida on issues like immigration, transgenderism and the economy. He was also the main candidate that Iowans indicated to the DCNF could actually give Trump a run for his money.
“I don’t really see anyone else like DeSantis challenging Trump to be honest,” Simon, a college student, told the DCNF.
“I’m definitely excited to hear Ron DeSantis today,” a voter named Caden told the DCNF. “I’ve heard a lot about him and definitely like what he’s doing in Florida. Some of the policies that he’s implemented like our economy, capitalism and also education, giving parents the choice to choose for their children, are really cool.”
Younger voters appeared more split, with several gravitating toward Ramaswamy. Daniel, a college student, told the DCNF that he liked that the candidate is younger and would “have a lot of the same beliefs as us and relate more to what we’re going through since he’s closer to our age.”
“I like how he speaks his mind and he’s not afraid to say anything,” Daniel said. “I know he’s pretty anti-woke and my sister has raced against transgender ‘women’ in high school cross country and I just think that’s wrong. So I like a lot of his policies on that issue.”
As for Haley, some voters indicated their concerns about comments she made regarding the transgender issue and said that they hoped she would address the topic during the event. Michelle said she thought it was interesting that the other candidates seemed to be “beating up” on her.
“I’m anxious to see in a non-televised debate what the interactions are, how they handled themselves,” Michelle told the DCNF. “Whether there’s that attack, or whether it’s more cordial.”
Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].