Trump trounced in Iowa, and election deniers and MAGA got him there: Entrance poll analysis

Strong conservatives, older voters, MAGA fans, 2020 election deniers and less-educated Iowa Republicans piled in to help Donald Trump win Iowa's Republican caucuses on Monday night amid punishingly cold weather that appears to have depressed overall turnout, according to entrance poll results.

The former president — despite spending minimal time in the state and despite past indications that the base was considering other options and despite notable challengers, who spent months campaigning against him — had by far the widest margin of victory in any meaningfully contested Iowa Republican caucuses dating to their start in 1976.

Trump's support was so strong that 63% of caucusgoers said they’d consider him fit for office even if he were hypothetically convicted of a crime. He faces charges in four cases but denies all wrongdoing.

By a split of 63-32%, respondents to the entrance poll say they'd consider him fit for office despite a conviction, with roughly 71% of the group saying he's fit also voting for Trump

And 49% say they're part of the «MAGA movement» that Trump started. The former president won 76% of that group, according to the entrance polls.

There were other indications that Monday's voters were aligned with Trump as 66% said they don't think President Joe Biden legitimately won in 2020, which is false. Among that group, 68% supported Trump.

All of the Republican candidates' late slogging through the Iowa snow may not have mattered much as 84% of caucusgoers in these preliminary results say they either made up their minds either earlier this month — 14% — or before that, 69%

In terms of turnout among groups, 88% say they are conservative, matching the high in Iowa caucus GOP entrance polls, including 51% «very»