Trump battles high expectations and complacency ahead of caucuses

Campaign stickers sit on a table during a rally with former President Donald Trump in Indianola, Iowa, on Sunday. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Donald Trump's biggest competition on Monday entering the Iowa caucuses may be his own expectations, with the final Des Moines Register poll showing the former president with a 28-point lead over his nearest rival.

Advisers to the former president have tried to temper expectations in the days leading up to the caucuses, suggesting anything topping Bob Dole's 1988 record-setting margin of nearly 13 points would be a major victory. Trump, however, faces a different standard. He's a former president who has held a commanding lead from start-to-finish in Iowa and approached the nominating fight like an incumbent.

The final Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom poll before the caucuses found that, overall, 48% of likely caucusgoers say Trump would be their first choice, while 20% name former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and 16% Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, with the rest of the field below 10%.

The combination of Trump's dominance in the polls and the dire weather forecast across Iowa also raises concerns about complacency on the part of the former president's supporters. During one speech Sunday, Trump warned his supporters that, "even if you think we’re winning by a lot, it doesn’t matter, you have to get out and vote."

At another event in Indianola, Trump said, "You can't sit home. If you're sick as a dog, you say, 'Darling, I gotta make it.' Even if you vote and then pass away, it's worth it."

Supporters wait for former president Trump to arrive at a campaign event in Indianola, Iowa, on Sunday. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images