Biden acknowledges Trump's win in Iowa Republican caucuses, calls on supporters in fundraising push

The former United States President and Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, on Monday (Jan 15)cemented his frontrunner status at the Iowa caucuses, the first vote in the 2024 presidential race, where he won by over 50 per cent votes. Meanwhile,his successor and incumbent, President Joe Biden took to X to acknowledge his win.

‘Me vs. extreme MAGA Republicans’

Following the announcement of the initial results of the Iowa caucuses, Biden’s campaign used the opportunity to appeal for more funds, framing the election as him vs “extreme” MAGA (Make America Great Again) Republicans.

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“Looks like Donald Trump just won Iowa. He’s the clear front runner on the other side at this point,” said the incumbent president, in a post on X.

He added, “But here’s the thing: this election was always going to be you and me vs. extreme MAGA Republicans. It was true yesterday and it’ll be true tomorrow.”

“So if you’re with us, chip in now.”

Notably, the post on X came after CNN reported that Biden’s campaign is fundraising off of Trump’s projected win in Iowa. “If Donald Trump is our opponent, we can expect vile attacks, endless lies, and massive spending,” Biden’s campaign told donors in an emailed fundraising note.

It added, “The Iowa results are in, and it’s clear: Donald Trump is the official frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. We need to work even harder now.”

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Earlieron Monday, the Biden campaign announced raising $97 million over the fourth quarter of 2023.

The Biden-Harris campaign is entering the election year with $117 million cash in hand, “more cash on hand than any Democratic candidate in history at this point in the cycle,” Biden campaign’s co-chair Jeffrey Katzenberg told reporters in Des Moines, Iowa on Monday.

Biden and Trump rematch?

With most Democrats backing Biden and Trump cementing his place as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, there are high chances that the upcoming presidential election in November will be a rematch between the two.

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Trump’s win in the Iowa caucuses has also indicated that despite his many legal woes, including four criminal cases that could go to trial before the November 5 general elections, his supporters are backing him no matter what.

According to a poll by Edison Research, only one-third of caucus-goers said Trump would be unfit for president if convicted of a crime. However, Biden is trailing behind in recent opinion polls amid concerns over his age and more recently his response to the Israel-Hamas war.

(With inputs from agencies)