--- title: Iowa Caucuses: Donald Trump Leaves Iowa a Loser description: The onetime front runner once called all comers a loser. After Iowa's caucuses, he's now the one wearing that label. canonical: https://time.com/4203728/donald-trump-iowa-loser/ author: Philip Elliott article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-02T04:25:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:43:49.708Z article:section: Politics og:title: Donald Trump Leaves Iowa a Loser og:description: He's called a lot of other people losers. Now he's one of them. og:url: https://time.com/4203728/donald-trump-iowa-loser/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0b8697b805d84c49/69887bb30b72e382c06e7ee7/donald-trump-iowa-caucus-timepol.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4380 og:image:height: 2464 og:image:alt: GOP Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Holds Iowa Caucus Night Gathering og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Donald Trump Leaves Iowa a Loser twitter:description: He's called a lot of other people losers. Now he's one of them. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0b8697b805d84c49/69887bb30b72e382c06e7ee7/donald-trump-iowa-caucus-timepol.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Donald Trump Leaves Iowa a Loser > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=6bf27e28-27b5-488c-8103-f28c7d7fef3c&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 85,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 37.0% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Philip Elliott / West Des Moines, Iowa](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/)  ## Philip Elliott / West Des Moines, Iowa Senior Correspondent Feb 2, 2016 4:25 AM UTC  Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump appears at his Iowa caucus night gathering Feb. 1, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump appears at his Iowa caucus night gathering Feb. 1, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa. Scott Olson—Getty Images  by [Philip Elliott / West Des Moines, Iowa](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/)  ## Philip Elliott / West Des Moines, Iowa Senior Correspondent Feb 2, 2016 4:25 AM UTC Donald Trump, rushing from Iowa a loser late Monday, showed no signs of regret that he campaigned in this deeply conservative state where [evangelicals](http://time.com/4201357/donald-trump-jerry-falwell/) were never a natural fit for the thrice-married New Yorker. Instead, the billionaire real estate mogul said he was looking ahead to New Hampshire. With a typical [fixation on polls](http://time.com/4140934/donald-trump-muslims-polls/), Trump claimed he was 28 points ahead of rivals in that state, where the next primaries take place on Feb. 9\. But Trump was also up in the polls in Iowa heading toward Monday’s caucuses, and still fell in the end. “We finished second. I’m just honored,” Trump said in a three-minute concession speech. It was likely the shortest set of remarks Trump has given in this campaign. “I want to congratulate Ted,” Trump said, nodding to caucus champ Ted Cruz of Texas. He made no mention of Marco Rubio, who came in third but stood as a looming threat.  Iowa Caucus results 2016 Over the weekend, Trump started acknowledging that [wins were not guaranteed](http://time.com/4201287/donald-trump-iowa-loss/). He boasted of having hired the best people and recruiting the best supporters. But in recent days, it seemed to be missing in action. At his campaign rallies, no volunteers manned the doors to follow up with potential supporters. Whereas most campaigns ask attendees to sign supporter cards after events, Trump did not. More than one attendee over the weekend asked reporters if they were with the campaign. They wanted to pledge to caucus. “We love you. We thank you. We will be back, many, many times. In fact, I might come here and buy a farm,” Trump said in a final reminder that his tone was often at odds with the humble Iowans. “On to New Hampshire. So long, everybody.” Trump drew tremendous crowds and unrivaled buzz. But Twitter followers aren’t the same thing as caucusgoers, and Trump came up short in his bid. “We had a great time. We’re going to continue to have a great time,” Trump said, publicly signaling he was still going to try to secure the Republican nomination. That goal, however, just became a lot more difficult. After all, it was Trump who is accustomed to calling his enemies losers — not the other way around. For the first time of the campaign, voters told Trump that he was fired. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4203728/donald-trump-iowa-loser/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4203728/donald-trump-iowa-loser/"},"headline":"Donald Trump Leaves Iowa a Loser","datePublished":"2016-02-02T04:25:35.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:43:49.708Z","description":"'On to New Hampshire. 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