Political experts weigh in on GOP presidential future amid Trump's Iowa caucus win

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Republican National Convention is six months away from being held in Milwaukee. The convention is slated to bring tens of thousands of people to the Cream City, and despite Trump's victory at the Iowa caucus this past Monday, political analysts said his win may not be a true bellwether for who the Republican Party picks as their presidential nominee.

During Monday's caucus, Iowans dealt with extreme weather and hazardous driving conditions to cast their vote for whom they believe should be the next Republican presidential nominee.

And while Iowa has traditionally decided on the party's nominee, political experts say this race to the White House has been anything but traditional.

"Even if Trump wins, if it’s a relatively close result, then I think it tells us that Iowa didn’t finish it off," said Mordecai Lee, professor emeritus at UW-Milwaukee.

Lee went on to say although former President Donald Trump came out on top at the 2024 Iowa caucus, his bid for the White House is far from over.

"If there is any lesson we've learned about American politics and Wisconsin politics, it's the unpredictability of events," said Lee.

At Monday's caucuses, Trump took more than half the votes.

Chairman for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, Brian Schimming, said the voter turnout in Iowa is an indicator people want change.

"People are saying the economy is upside-down by about a 3:1 margin; that’s a problem for Joe Biden, that's a problem for Kamala Harris, and that’s a problem for the Democrats," said Schimming.

And while all eyes are on the Republican candidates now, soon they'll be turned to the Badger state.

"While there is a lot of talk about the economic boost to the city, we also don’t feel that means we should completely throw our values out of the window as a city," said Omar Flores, co-chair for the Coalition to March, on the RNC.

Members of the coalition filed a permit application Thursday to march during the Republican National Convention.

"This is just us trying to operate in good faith and the city is simply not letting us do that," said Flores.

Flores said the city has not provided instructions on how anti-RNC groups can make their voices heard.

The mayor's office said they are putting a plan in place for people who are looking to protest during the RNC. His office said that should be released in a couple of weeks.

Thursday in Chicago, members of the media got a preview of what viewers at home can expect for the four-day Democratic National Convention at the United Center.