The Iowa caucuses are an event widely considered a barometer to determine the pretenders and contenders of the presidential election. Republicans have been looking forward to it since Jan. 21, 2021 – the day after President Joe Biden began his term. It is regularly touted as the first step in “hiring” the president. History tells a different story, however. Analysis of the results of past caucuses suggests it has been given a political prominence that it probably doesn’t deserve.

Does anyone believe that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis or former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley truly stands a chance of becoming the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nominee? It’s a scenario that is increasingly hard to imagine.

That is because the Iowa caucuses went almost exactly as predicted: Former President Trump wiped the floor with his rivals, while the two of them battled for second place. DeSantis, despite pulling ahead in that battle, is staring down the end of his presidential ambitions.

The biggest story from the Iowa Caucus wasn't about Trump. It was about media, and how their glib herd mentality massively skews our perceptions and drives our politics.

Look at how the major news outlets (the NYT, WaPo, Politico, AP, etc.) uniformly called Trump's Iowa win "decisive," "an early knockout," a "commanding" victory in which he "conquered."

Wait, what?

The decision by The Associated Press and other major media outlets to call the Iowa Caucuses a victory for Donald Trump before everyone had cast ballots has angered both Iowans and candidates.

Fox News, CNN and MSNBC also called the race early, about the same time as AP, about 31 minutes after caucuses began at 7 p.m. (The USA TODAY Network relies on the AP to call races.)

Republican Party of Iowa Chair Jeff Kaufmann lambasted the media for the early call, issuing a statement after the AP declared at 10:20 p.m. that Gov. Ron DeSantis took second place.

The Associated Press and other media outlets interfered in the election last night in Iowa by calling the state for Trump while Iowans were still casting votes in the caucus. Trump’s win wasn’t close, so any effect was on the margins. But that’s no defense. It’s happened before; there are predictable ways to avoid doing it, which were ignored; and there are real reasons to worry about the destabilizing effects in this climate if it happens again in a closer election.

My colleagues at the Washington Post wondered again this weekend what "evangelicals" see in Trump. The provocative headline "Ordained by God" telegraphs the reporters’ answer but that is simply incorrect. 

Voters had their say for the first time in the 2024 presidential campaign cycle Monday — and the result was an emphatic win in the GOP’s Iowa caucuses for former President Trump.

Trump stormed to victory by roughly 30 points.

Much of the tension in the run-up to the caucuses revolved around the fight for second place. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis won the consolation prize, edging out former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.

There are life-threatening weather conditions in Iowa this week. Blizzards brought nearly a foot of snow this weekend and arctic temperatures are expected to continue through Tuesday morning. The winter storm has made some roads impassable, which led to the cancellation of several campaign events.

And yet, rain, shine or snowstorm, the Iowa caucuses — one of America’s storied political traditions — will see friends and neighbors across the state gather Monday night to choose who they want to become the 2024 Republican presidential standard-bearer.