Trump leads GOP field in Iowa, Clinton tops Sanders

In the final poll before the Iowa caucuses Monday, Donald Trump holds a slight 5 point lead over Ted Cruz and Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are neck-and-neck within the margin of error.

On the Democratic side, Clinton holds a narrow lead over Sanders, 45% to 42%.

“I am disturbed, I have to say, (that) the tone of Secretary Clinton’s campaign is such that they are just bringing forth a lot of inaccurate statements regarding what I believe”, Sanders told canvassers in Charles City.

“People are really enthusiastic, and if people come out to vote, I think you’re going to look at one of the biggest political upsets in the modern history of our country”, Sanders told CNN’s “State of the Union”.

Appearing with evangelist Jerry Falwell Jr.at a Davenport, Iowa, town hall event, Trump said he was happier that he was connecting with evangelicals than he was leading the new poll. While Trump has overtaken Senator Ted Cruz from Texas in this latest Iowa poll, Clinton has a slim edge over Senator Bernie Sanders.

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad said earlier this month that he wanted Cruz defeated because of his position on ethanol, but those comments don’t seem to have had a major impact on the race, with 77 percent of likely Republican caucus-goers in this poll saying it didn’t sway their thoughts on Cruz.

At a Manchester rally, Sanders spoke for many when he called the Democratic contest against Clinton a likely tossup.

Donald Trump isn’t shy about boasting, but the Republican presidential front-runner says he also has a humble side. “I want to be unpredictable”. On ABC’s “This Week”, she said, “I feel vetted”.

But, like other candidates, he moved to soften expectations as the vote grew nearer. “I don’t care what any of the polls say, Ted Cruz is going to win this caucus”. “We can make guesses based on those numbers, but if it gets over 200,000 I think sanders can win”. “I’d like to win Iowa”.

Cruz is locked in a do-or-die battle with Trump in Iowa, and is counting on a strong evangelical turnout to help propel him to victory here.

“The desperation kicks in”, Rubio said in response to Cruz.

Hovering in third place among Republicans is Senator Marco Rubio, whose star is seen as rising perhaps just at the right time.

“(Chuckle)These mailers are routine, “said Trump. At his first campaign stop in Iowa Falls, faithful Clinton fans turned out, but at his Grinnell, Iowa, event at Grinnell College, the room was mostly comprised of students.

“Hillary is tough”, Giffords said by way of introduction.

Bill Clinton, prior to his election to the White House, promised he would not sign NAFTA, along with other unkept promises which include receipt of funds from the Chinese during his election campaign.

“My opponent has announced that she has raised tens of thousands of dollars from her super PAC for special interests”, Sanders said.

Some 3,500 people showed up, including Corinne Fonteyne, who is 17 but will be eligible to vote in November. “Let’s not go around distorting a record that I am very proud of”. “One of the reasons that I’ll win and, I think, none of the other guys will win is because I’m going to get states that they’ll never get”, he told CBS’ “Face the Nation”, citing Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, along with strong hopes for NY and Virginia. She faced the prospect of escalating political heat from revelations Friday that the private email server she used when she was Obama’s first secretary of state contained top-secret messages that should have remained within proper, secured channels.