Trump bests competitors in 98 of Iowa's 99 counties; Hutchinson drops out after dismal showing

Former President Donald Trump crushed the competition, beating rivals in 98 of 99 counties during the Republican presidential caucuses in Iowa on Monday. In the single county where Trump lost, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley edged him out by just one vote, results currently indicate.

But as massive as Trump's victory was, it paled in comparison to former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson's dismal performance. He earned less than 200 votes in the Hawkeye State, results currently indicate.

Hutchinson has announced that he is dropping out of the nominating contest.

"I congratulate Donald J. Trump for his win last night in Iowa and to the other candidates who competed and garnered delegate support. Today, I am suspending my campaign for President and driving back to Arkansas," he said in a statement. "My message of being a principled Republican with experience and telling the truth about the current front runner did not sell in Iowa."

The Iowa delegates are awarded proportionally based on how much of the vote each candidate gets.

Author and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who earned less than 8% in the contest, dropped out and endorsed Trump.

While Trump had already been leading in the polls prior to the Iowa caucuses, the massive victory appears to confirm Trump's frontrunner status in the GOP nominating contest.

Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are still vying for the Republican presidential nod. Last year, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds endorsed DeSantis while New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu endorsed Haley.

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