THE HINDU EDITORIAL

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Early lead: On Donald Trump’s big win in Iowa caucuses

Trump seems the favourite to win the Republican nomination

Regardless of what twists of fate might lie ahead for the three candidates in the Republican primaries, it is clear from the Iowa results that Mr. Trump has bounced back from what some consider the political embarrassment and legal quagmires of the four indictments that he has been slapped with for alleged improprieties of conduct during his time in office. The latest voting suggests that his popularity among conservatives has not dwindled much; contrarily, he appears to be their candidate of choice more than in previous elections. The Iowa caucuses surveys suggest that nearly 50% of Republican considered themselves to be members of Mr. Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement, and the breadth of his victory included older and younger age cohorts, men and women, and far-right and evangelical caucus-goers. Reports from Iowa indicate that nearly 90% among this group believed the Trump campaign falsehoods that the 2020 election was “stolen” and thus tend to overlook federal and state charges that he faces relating to the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and election interference in Georgia. An early assessment of Mr. Trump’s overall position suggests that he would be well placed to win his party’s nomination and perhaps successfully challenge his Democratic rival, incumbent Joe Biden, in November. Whether this will be a positive development favouring the U.S.’s long-term national interest is an entirely different question.