State of the race: Are Iowa expectations too high for Trump and DeSantis?

Ahead of the Iowa primaries, ex-President Donald Trump has returned to Iowa, intensifying his campaign efforts in anticipation of the state's January 15 caucuses. Despite facing multiple indictments, including charges for attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss, Trump's support among Republican voters has remained robust. He is presently the frontrunner in the GOP nomination race, marking his third consecutive run at the White House.

In recent Iowa polls, Trump's support stands well over 50%, significantly ahead of his closest contenders - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Regardless of having missed the first four GOP presidential primary debates and having kept a minimal presence on the campaign trail, Trump is not resting on his considerable lead.

The Trump campaign has been preparing intensely in recent weeks, instructing around 2,000 caucus captains across the state. As per Trump campaign senior advisor Chris LaCivita, their primary goal is to ensure that all identified Trump supporters turn up at the caucuses.

Compared to Trump's 2016 campaign, where he narrowly lost the caucuses to Sen. Ted Cruz, Trump's ground strategy in Iowa has significantly improved, says Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann.

The primary challenge for Trump and his team is to avoid complacency and to meet the lofty expectations set because of his substantial consistent lead in the polls. Ensuring their presence on caucus night, Trump surrogate Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has urged supporters to remain focused and turn up for voting.

Another GOP presidential candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, has also set high expectations, confidently predicting a win in Iowa. Additionally, Nikki Haley, whose popularity has been steadily increasing, avoiding setting specific expectations but maintains the intention to show solid performance in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.