Fresh off a commanding victory in the Iowa caucuses, former US President Donald Trump turned his focus to defending himself in a New York courtroom on Wednesday against allegations he defamed a writer who accused him of rape.Donald Trump to appear at sexual assault case ahead of Iowa winThe day after over 50% of Iowa voters backed his 2024 White House bid, Trump appeared at a hearing related to claims he smeared author E. Jean Carroll after she said he sexually assaulted her in the 1990s. Trump denies the allegation.The Iowa contest kicked off the 2024 Republican primary race, with Trump securing an unprecedented margin of victory for the states caucuses. The triumph strengthens his argument that the partys nomination is effectively guaranteed barring any major stumbles.Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis placed a distant second behind Trump in Iowa with 21% of the vote, followed closely by former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley at 19%. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and ex-Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson both ended their long-shot campaigns after the results.Nikki Haley vs Donald TrumpHaley and DeSantis now face the challenge of consolidating support among Republican voters resistant to another Trump term ahead of the New Hampshire primary on January 23. Both contenders brought their case against Trump to voters braving snowstorms for campaign events across New Hampshire this week.At a rally Tuesday, Haley told supporters that chaos follows Trump and she can offer a new direction for Republicans. DeSantis said at a CNN town hall that Trumps failure to secure a majority in Iowa shows voters want change.Why Nikki Haley wont attend any future debatesHowever, with polls giving him a commanding lead, Trump has refused to debate GOP challengers in New Hampshire. Haley said she wont attend future debates without Trump, prompting ABC to cancel an event set for Thursday.Trump instead focused his fire on President Joe Biden and Democrats at a New Hampshire rally, vowing to swiftly wrap up the primary and look ahead to Novembers general election.The former president faces no shortage of legal woes amid his unprecedented White House comeback bid. The defamation case related to rape allegations is just one of numerous civil and criminal investigations Trump currently faces.What did Trumps win underscoreHowever, the strong early momentum from Iowa has bolstered Trumps confidence that party voters will overlook his controversies and grant him the Republican banner once again to take on Biden. Most experts anticipate a close and contentious rematch between the two septuagenarians later this year.
