*** Election Night Livewire *** Iowa Caucuses Kick Off 2024 GOP Nominating Process

The Iowa caucuses kick off the 2024 GOP presidential nominating process for Republicans as former President Donald Trump looks to pull off the greatest comeback in modern political history by retaking the Oval Office while fending off challenges from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

The caucuses, which begin at 7 p.m. Central Time in the Hawkeye State, mark the beginning of a long process of caucuses and primaries nationwide. Results are expected to start streaming in around 8:30 p.m. Eastern, 7:30 p.m. Central, and continue throughout the evening.

The big question of course is whether Trump can win as decisively as polls suggest he will, and if he does what margin he holds over whoever comes in second. But also, who comes in second between Haley and DeSantis matters–and what the margins for those second and third place candidates are matter too.

Two other candidates, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, are also running. Ramaswamy’s team has argued his support is stronger than the. polls suggest whereas Hutchinson’s numbers have been stalled around a percent or two so whether either is able to outperform expectations will be another story to watch.

Iowa’s well-below-freezing temperatures–wind chills are expected to reach several dozen degrees below zero in some parts of the state–could have a major impact on turnout. But ultimately this first contest, where 40 delegates will be awarded proportionately based on the percentages of the various candidates’ finishes, will possibly determine just how complicated or grueling the rest of the calendar is for Trump, the likely eventual nominee for the GOP. A decisive victory in Iowa, followed by a similar performance in eight days in New Hampshire a week from Tuesday, could set the stage for an early and easy finish for Trump as soon as then or in South Carolina later in February. Between New Hampshire and South Carolina, too, are the Nevada caucuses, where Trump is expected to clean up big based off public polling showing him absolutely dominating there.

But a closer-than-expected photo finish could give at least one of Trump’s two main remaining challengers, DeSantis or Haley, the gumption needed to drag this race into March to Super Tuesday or perhaps beyond there. A delayed formal conveyance of presumptive GOP nominee for president for Trump could lead to donor class backers of DeSantis and Haley extracting concessions out of Trump if and when he gets there, and could divide the party heading into a high-stakes general election where Trump is expected to face off against Democrat President Joe Biden for a rematch unlike any other in U.S. history.

As results stream in from the Iowa caucuses, follow along here on Breitbart News for live updates and analysis.

UPDATE 8:08 p.m. ET:

Trump, according to CNN entrance polling, is absolutely crushing it with evangelicals, getting 55 percent support. This bodes very well for the former president.

UPDATE 8:06 p.m. ET:

In an NBC News entrance poll broken down by Chuck Todd  on NBC News Now, 81 percent of the caucus-goers were registered Republicans, 16 percent were independents, and three percent were Democrats. This bodes well for more hardline conservatives and poor for more moderate candidates.

UPDATE 8:00 p.m. ET:

The Iowa caucuses are officially underway now across the Hawkeye State.

CNN says in its entrance poll that Trump is the early leader of the candidates entering the caucuses, and DeSantis and Haley are in a fierce fight for second place.

UPDATE 7:57 p.m. ET:

CNN’s entrance poll shows that 54 percent of caucus-goers call themselves “very conservative,” significantly higher than the 40 percent eight years ago. The top issues are immigration and the economy.

UPDATE 7:56 p.m. ET:

CNN reports that turnout is extremely high in Council Bluffs–so high that the organizers of the caucus site there ran out of ballots and have had to hand out legal paper for people to vote on.

Voting begins in minutes statewide.

UPDATE 7:48 p.m. ET: 

According to a CNN entrance poll, 53 percent said they would consider themselves a member of the MAGA movement. Sixty-three percent also said Trump is fit for the presidency even if convicted on one of the charges he faces in various places. A strong majority also said Democrat President Joe Biden did not legitimately win the 2020 election.

David Axelrod, a former Barack Obama adviser, said these early entrance poll results seem like a “good looking electorate for Donald Trump.”

UPDATE 7:42 p.m. ET:

If Haley ever did get the nomination, she would have serious issues consolidating the GOP:

UPDATE 7:38 p.m. ET:

People are streaming into caucus locations all over Iowa right now and checking in as they verify they are eligible to vote. CNN is currently interviewing people at different locations, and found one man who claims to be a Democrat who’s switching parties to vote for Nikki Haley.

UPDATE 7:22 p.m. ET:

Caucus sites are beginning to open across the state of Iowa and it does appear as though Trump supporters are showing up:

Trump’s team also has an all-star cast of surrogates on hand throughout the state:

In addition to those, as Breitbart News reported earlier, Montana U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy is in Iowa as a formal Trump surrogate.