--- title: Iowa Caucuses: Watch Donald Trump Admit Defeat description: It was likely the shortest remarks Trump has given in this campaign and among the most gracious. canonical: https://time.com/4203774/iowa-caucuses-donald-trump-defeat/ author: Francesca Trianni article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-02T07:20:29.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:41:00.933Z article:section: Politics og:title: Watch Donald Trump Admit Defeat in Iowa og:description: His shortest and most gracious remarks yet. og:url: https://time.com/4203774/iowa-caucuses-donald-trump-defeat/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd96966d2faf75791/69887bc0524fc02c26df68f5/trump_v1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1920 og:image:height: 1080 og:image:alt: Trump rally og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Watch Donald Trump Admit Defeat in Iowa twitter:description: His shortest and most gracious remarks yet. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd96966d2faf75791/69887bc0524fc02c26df68f5/trump_v1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Watch Donald Trump Admit Defeat in Iowa > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### 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. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=ff750595-4a56-41b2-9ef3-4cc582ab5276&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Watch Donald Trump Lose [Watch (HLS stream): Watch Donald Trump Lose](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/yI3kIumt.m3u8) (1:28)  _Published 2016-02-02. What It’s Like for Donald Trump to Lose Iowa_ by [Francesca Trianni](https://time.com/author/francesca-trianni/) and [Jake Swantko](https://time.com/author/jake-swantko/) Feb 2, 2016 7:20 AM UTC What It’s Like for Donald Trump to Lose Iowa by [Francesca Trianni](https://time.com/author/francesca-trianni/) and [Jake Swantko](https://time.com/author/jake-swantko/) Feb 2, 2016 7:20 AM UTC Donald Trump is not used to losing. “We finished second. I’m just honored,” Trump [said](http://time.com/4203728/donald-trump-iowa-loser/?xid=homepage) in a three-minute concession speech. It was likely the shortest remarks Trump has given in this campaign and among the most gracious.  Iowa Caucus results 2016 Watch the Republican candidate admit defeat. ## Transcript [00:00] 94 % for Donald Trump. 23 %. 99 % of the expected [00:05] vote now in but Ted Cruz is ahead 28 %/ 24 %. [00:09] Once ahead on the democratic side look at how close [00:16] it is. 50. 1 %, 49. 2 %. [00:22] [ APPLAUSE ] We finish second and [00:26] I wanna tell you something, I'm just honored, I'm really [00:30] honored and I wanna congratulate Ted. We've had [00:33] every indication, we're going now on we have a poll [00:36] where we're 28 points ahead Okay, New Hampshire, [00:39] we love New Hampshire, we love South Carolina. [00:41] [ APPLAUSE ] And we're [00:45] leaving tonight, and tomorrow afternoon we'll be in [00:48] New Hampshire, and that will be something special. [00:51] It's gonna be a great week. [ APPLAUSE ] I [00:55] was sad that Mr Trump did not get first in Iowa. Well, [01:00] we did our best, and New Hampshire's next, and [01:03] South Carolina. Boy, if I could meet Donald Trump right [01:07] now I would tell him to keep up the confidence, and [01:09] keep telling people the truth. I think he's our hope. You [01:14] know, like, stuff has really gone down hill lately. And I [01:18] feel like he's gonna be the one who's gonna get us out [01:20] of it. Thank you, thank you everybody. Thank [01:24] you. Thank you very much. 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