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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* As part of his closing message ahead of the Iowa caucuses, Donald Trump told a group of supporters that they should turn out for him, regardless of their health condition. “If you’re sick as a dog, you say, ‘Darling, I gotta make it,’” the Republican said at a rally. “Even if you vote and then pass away, it’s worth it.” Trump added that he might be president again for “four years — and beyond.”
* President Joe Biden’s campaign and affiliated fundraising committees raised $97 million in the fourth quarter of 2023, exceeding expectations. The same campaign-finance filing showed Team Biden starting the year with an impressive $117 million cash on hand.
* Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida endorsed Trump’s candidacy over the weekend, despite the fact that his home-state governor is running, despite the fact that then-Gov. Nikki Haley tried to help the senator get elected in 2016, and despite Rubio’s record of condemning Trump as a “lunatic” and a “con man.”
* On a related note, the former president also picked up endorsements over the weekend from GOP Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Jim Risch of Idaho. As things stand, a majority of congressional Republicans have now officially thrown their support behind their party’s frontrunner.
* And speaking of endorsements, Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota, who last month ended his own GOP presidential campaign, endorsed Trump at a campaign event in Iowa.
* The final NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll found Trump leading his party’s field with 48% support followed by Haley with 20%. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was third in the poll with 16%, followed by Vivek Ramaswamy with 8%. For Republicans, the record for the largest margin of victory in the Iowa caucuses is 13 points, set by then-Sen. Bob Dole in 1988.
* The super PAC supporting Haley’s candidacy unveiled an ad late last week mocking DeSantis as a “suck up” for his earlier sycophantic support for Trump. A crowd chanting, “Who’s your daddy?” plays throughout the spot.
* Speaking of DeSantis, following the Iowa caucuses, the governor is planning to fly to South Carolina, despite the fact that the New Hampshire primary is next week. South Carolina’s Republican primary isn’t until Feb. 24.
* Though Sen. Joni Ernst has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential nominee, she’s unlikely to be considered by Trump: The Iowa Republican, during an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” had some kind words for Haley and expressed discomfort with Trump’s references to Jan. 6 rioters as “hostages.”
* Just days after a vote to remove her as chair of the Michigan Republican Party, Kristina Karamo claimed on Saturday to have received a vote of confidence from allied officials within the state GOP. As for who is actually the current state party chair, no one seems to be able to answer that question with any degree of certainty.