Diners at the Machine Shed in Urbandale said they planned to go out to caucus despite the freezing temperatures. Stephanie Riesberg said she was still undecided but leaning towards Trump. But Ron Thomson and Gaylen Eller said they were firmly in Trump's camp.
"I can't divorce myself from Trump. I mean, his qualifications and his performance over the last term that he had and the persecution that he put himself through... he's just gone through an awful lot," said Thomson.
The former president's dominant position has turned Iowa's first-in-the-nation contest into a race for second place, as both Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley are aiming for a clear runner-up finish to emerge as the chief alternative to Trump.
