Trump begins quest for third straight GOP nomination with big lead in frigid Iowa

Former President Donald Trump formally begins his quest Monday for enough votes to secure a third straight Republican presidential nomination, leading in the polls nationwide and hoping a strong showing in the Iowa Caucus will propel him to quick victory.

His biggest obstacle may be Mother Nature, which imposed a frigid chill on Iowa ahead of voting.

With an average of 51.3% support as of Sunday, Trump is more than 30-points ahead of all other opponents in Iowa, according to an analysis of polls from FiveThirtyEight. Meanwhile, Nikki Haley, Trump's former ambassador to the United Nations, is in second with 17.3% support, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is in third with 16.1% and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is at 6.6%. 

The final poll released Saturday by the Des Moines Register put Trump at 48%, Haley at 20%, DeSantis at 16% and Ramaswamy at 8%.

However, the Caucus is set to be marked by snow and historic cold temperatures. Some parts of Iowa, such as Davenport, received 15 inches of snow as of Saturday morning, according to the local paper.

Trump took nothing for granted, urging voters not to be fooled into thinking the caucus could be canceled by bad weather.

"Be on the lookout for dirty tricks. The Iowa Caucus is 100% on for Monday night, January 15th," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "It will not be canceled or postponed under any circumstances. Don’t listen to any dishonest RINOS or Globalists that say otherwise!"

The former president gained additional momentum Sunday night when he secured the endorsement of North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a former GOP challenger for the nomination.

"Four years ago, I was speaking on behalf of President Trump at the Iowa caucuses in Sioux City, and today, I'm here to do something that none of the other presidential primary candidates have done,"  Burgum told an iowa crowd. "And that's endorse Donald J. Trump for the president of the United States of America." 

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service issued a warning in effect until Tuesday for "life threatening wind chills" in all of central Iowa. Wind chills are expected to reach as low as 45 degrees Fahrenheit below zero.

When the caucuses begin Monday evening at 7 p.m., the temperature is expected to reach historic subzero lows, according to The Associated Press. 

In an analysis of how the weather would impact the caucuses, The Hill reported, "Bad weather in any election aids the candidate who has the most fiercely loyal supporters," and in this case, it appears that Trump will be helped the most. 

The severe weather has caused all major presidential candidates to cancel some events ahead of the caucuses, but Trump held a rally on Sunday in Indianola, Iowa. At that rally, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a former presidential candidate, endorsed Trump. 

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