Updated 13m ago
What to watch in the Iowa caucuses
The CBS News political team is on the ground in Iowa as voters are about to kick off the 2024 presidential election. “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil is joined by Ed O’Keefe and Robert Costa to break down what’s at stake in the Iowa caucuses.
Updated 28m ago
Trump’s court cases overshadowing Iowa caucuses
The Iowa caucuses are Monday night. But this year, the presidential campaign trail runs through courthouses.
In Washington this past week, attorneys for former President Donald Trump argued in federal court that an ex-president should be immune from prosecution – arguments that seemed to get little love from the judges.
On Tuesday Trump told reporters, “I feel that as a president, you have to have immunity. Very simple.”
A ruling could come in days – though it could be appealed to the Supreme Court. Read more here.
Updated 43m ago
Ahead of the Iowa caucuses, Republican candidates tap voters’ economic frustrations
Republican presidential candidates are seeking to tap into voters’ discontentment with the U.S. economy as Americans hope for relief that eases their money concerns.
CBS News polling shows that a majority of Americans think the economy is in bad shape, despite many strong economic measures, such as low unemployment and a growing U.S. economy.
But many voters are focused on the impact of inflation, which is rising at a slower pace than a year earlier amid the Federal Reserve’s interest rate-hike campaign. Even so, prices remain higher than prior to the pandemic, and millions of Americans say they are struggling to pay their basic household bills. Read more here.
Updated 4:52 PM
How many delegates does Iowa have, and how will today’s caucuses impact the 2024 presidential nominations?
A candidate must receive the majority of delegates to win the nomination. For Republicans, this means securing 1,215 of the over 2,400 delegates. For Democrats, there are about 3,900 pledged delegates, and 1,969 are needed to win.
Read more here.
Updated 4:51 PM
Heading into Iowa caucuses, DeSantis says “a lot” of Iowans “haven’t made up a final decision”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, once widely viewed as the favorite to challenge former President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination, but who now appears to be battling Nikki Haley for second place, said his campaign feels “really good” heading into Monday night’s Iowa caucuses.
After months of extensive time and money spent on the Hawkeye State by his campaign and super PAC, DeSantis is hopeful about his return on investment, even as polls show Trump maintaining a dominant lead.
“When people take a poll, they can push someone one way or other, but there’s a lot of people that still haven’t made up a final decision,” DeSantis told “CBS Mornings” anchor Tony Dokoupil. “So I think we’re in good situation to be able to capture that.”
Read more here and watch Tony Dokoupil’s full interview with DeSantis in the player below.
Updated 4:41 PM
What is a caucus? A guide to tonight’s Iowa caucuses
Iowa Republicans will be voting for their preferred presidential candidate tonight in caucus precincts across the state after months of evaluating the candidates. A caucus is a political meeting, as opposed to a primary, which is an election. There are 1,670 precincts across Iowa that will be holding caucus meetings this evening.
A representative from each campaign is allowed to give a short speech in support of its candidate, and then ballots are handed out to the caucusgoers, who vote by secret ballot. The ballots are then collected and counted in open view of the caucus. A campaign representative is allowed to view the counting, but members of the press are not.
After the results are tabulated, they’re recorded on a form by the caucus secretary and announced by the precinct chair and then submitted electronically to the Iowa Republican Party.
Read more here.