Donald Trump’s grip on Republican politics put to the test in Iowa’s caucuses

Former president Donald Trump (Andrew Harnik/AP)

Voting begins on Monday in icy Iowa as former US president Donald Trump eyes a victory that would send a resounding message that neither life-threatening cold nor life-changing legal trouble can slow his march towards the Republican Party’s 2024 nomination.

The Iowa caucuses are the opening contest in the months-long Republican presidential primary process.