Trump favored to win Iowa caucus as 2024 presidential election kicks off

A commanding victory for Trump in Iowa would bolster his argument that he is the only candidate in the Republican field capable of taking on Democratic President Joe Biden in the November election

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks to volunteers at Hotel Fort Des Moines in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sunday (Picture: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Donald Trump is the overwhelming favourite to push past his rivals and stake an early claim to the Republican US presidential nomination when Iowans brave bone-chilling temperatures on Monday to cast the first votes in the 2024 campaign.

The former president's dominant position has turned Iowa's first-in-the-nation contest into a race for second place, as both Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley are aiming for a clear runner-up finish to emerge as the chief alternative to Trump.