The US election isn't until November but the race for the White House officially kicks-off this week. Republicans in Iowa will be casting their votes for the party's nominee. Donald Trump is up against high profile rivals including his former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida governor Ron Desantis. But the former president is still the overwhelming frontrunner for the nomination despite facing four sets of charges and a legal push to stop him from running in some states. If he does become the candidate, he'll likely face a re-match with Joe Biden whose campaign is grappling with concerns about his age and unpopularity.
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00:00 People living in Iowa know how to make the most of their brutal winters.
00:07 And of the intense political attention they receive every four years.
00:14 The caucus comes down, it gets crazy here. Lots of people come flying in.
00:20 Iowa is the first US state to have its say on who should contest the presidential election.
00:27 And some Republicans are doing whatever they can to try to stop Donald Trump from becoming their nominee.
00:35 We just don't need him bringing all of his court cases and all of his vengeance.
00:41 We need to put all that crap behind and get things done.
00:44 Donald Trump is facing a total of 91 criminal counts in four cases.
00:50 He's been charged over hush money payments in New York and alleged election interference in Georgia.
00:56 He's also facing two federal trials.
00:59 One in Florida over his handling of classified documents and another in Washington in connection with the January 6 attack.
01:08 The former president has used his court appearances as campaign stops.
01:14 Rallying supporters behind his claims that the prosecutions are politically motivated.
01:21 When they talk about threat to democracy, that's your real threat to democracy.
01:26 He's fighting for the nomination against his former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida governor Ron DeSantis.
01:35 But if the polls are correct, the majority of people who braved the freezing temperatures to vote this week will be backing the 45th president.
01:45 It's amazing that he was able to accomplish what he did with all the obstacles that was put in front of him.
01:52 I want him to get back to be president so he can finish what he started.
01:58 Iowa is a relatively small, rural state and the winner of the Republican race here isn't guaranteed to become the party's nominee.
02:07 But for the candidates, this contest is all about trying to build momentum for their campaigns.
02:14 So it winnows the field, right? It gets a ton of media attention.
02:18 And it has the potential to launch a presidential candidate to the White House.
02:24 Its current occupant is hoping to stay on for another four years.
02:29 Joe Biden would be 86 by the end of a second term.
02:33 But some of his youngest backers believe he still offers the Democrats their best chance of again beating his predecessor.
02:41 You see on social media people our age making jokes about the president's age or Trump's age, both of them.
02:50 I think that it would be great to have a younger person, but in this moment we need someone that's tested.
02:55 The president's approval ratings remain stubbornly low amid concerns about issues like the cost of living and immigration.
03:04 And he's faced fierce criticism from some in his party over his backing of Israel in the war in Gaza.
03:12 The majority of people in our age group kind of do see that as a problem and see that as a tell sign for Biden that maybe they don't align with Biden as much.
03:21 But I would just like younger people to think about the possibility of Trump being in office again.
03:27 A prospect that could move a step closer as a wildly unpredictable election year begins.
03:34 begins.
03:34 [BLANK_AUDIO]