Donald Trump implored his supporters Sunday to brave frigid temperatures and deliver him a decisive victory in Monday害羞草研究所檚 Iowa caucuses, saying their vote would help bring to Washington the retribution he has repeatedly promised if he returns to the White House.

The former president has set sky-high expectations for his own performance in the first contest of the race for the Republican presidential nomination. He spent the day before the caucuses trying to ensure he meets them. His main GOP rivals all spent Sunday in Iowa as well, making last-minute appeals to Iowans open to hearing them.

At a rally in Indianola, Trump said his supporters could fight back against his political enemies, claiming that the four indictments he faces were driven by politics and renewing his false claims about the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Many in the crowd wore white and gold caps identifying them as Trump caucus captains who will help round up support for him Monday night.

害羞草研究所淭hese caucuses are your personal chance to score the ultimate victory over all of the liars, cheaters, thugs, perverts, frauds, crooks, freaks, creeps and other quite nice people,害羞草研究所� Trump told the audience. 害羞草研究所淭he Washington swamp has done everything in its power to take away your voice. But tomorrow is your time to turn on them and to say and speak your mind and to vote.害羞草研究所�

More than 30 minutes before the doors opened for Trump害羞草研究所檚 rally at Simpson College, Marc Smiarowski said he planned to do just that.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 here in part out of spite,害羞草研究所� said the 44-year-old public utility worker who drove 40 miles from Huneston to see Trump. 害羞草研究所淚 can害羞草研究所檛 abandon him. After what they did to him in the last election, and the political persecution he faces, I feel like I owe him this. He害羞草研究所檚 our only option.害羞草研究所�

He was among more than 100 layered in Carhartt coveralls with hats and hoods pulled down tight to fight off the minus 18-degree Fahrenheit (minus 28-degree Celsius) chill. It was a test run for Iowa害羞草研究所檚 caucuses Monday night 害羞草研究所� and of the devotion Trump said last week would make his supporters 害羞草研究所渨alk on glass害羞草研究所� for him.

Even as he predicted his supporters would deliver a substantial victory over his nearest rival, he sought to temper expectations that he could cross 50% of the vote, a threshold never crossed in a contested Republican caucus. The previous record for a margin of victory was Bob Dole害羞草研究所檚 nearly 13-point win over Pat Robertson in 1988.

Both former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has bet big on Iowa, exuded confidence in national interviews as they compete for a caucus showing that will boost their campaigns even if they don害羞草研究所檛 beat Trump.

The final Des Moines Register/ NBC News poll before Monday害羞草研究所檚 caucuses found Trump maintaining a formidable lead, supported by nearly half of likely caucusgoers, compared with 20% for Haley and 16% for DeSantis. Haley and DeSantis remain locked in a close battle for second.

害羞草研究所淲ith our folks, they害羞草研究所檙e committed, they害羞草研究所檙e gonna be there,害羞草研究所� DeSantis said on CNN害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淪tate of the Union,害羞草研究所� noting that the Republican calendar doesn害羞草研究所檛 end with Iowa. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e going to have a good night.害羞草研究所�

The sun was out across Iowa, but some streets and highways remained covered in snow from a Saturday blizzard. Temperatures stayed below 0 degrees Fahrenheit all day and were not forecast to rise into positive territory until Tuesday. The weather 害羞草研究所� by far the coldest since Iowa started leading the presidential selection process in 1976 害羞草研究所� continued to disrupt plans.

Because of travel conditions from Des Moines, Haley canceled a Sunday morning stop in the eastern city of Dubuque about an hour before it was to start. She swapped in a virtual town hall.

Voters walking into the venue were given the news by campaign staffers, who offered some a T-shirt, hat or yard sign as consolation.

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 blame her,害羞草研究所� said John Schmid, 69, a retiree from Asbury, a few miles outside Dubuque. He is a Haley supporter but wanted to see the 害羞草研究所渞efreshing害羞草研究所� candidate in person. He hopes Haley will do well in the caucuses, which he will attend despite the bitter cold.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 just part of living in Iowa in January,害羞草研究所� he said.

Haley did make it to an event in Ames, a college town much closer to Des Moines.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 been 11 months, and it comes down to tomorrow,害羞草研究所� Haley said of Monday害羞草研究所檚 votes, repeating her frequent call to GOP voters to elect her as a 害羞草研究所渘ew generational leader that leaves the negativity and the baggage behind and focuses on the solutions of the future.害羞草研究所�

Trump continued picking up support from Republicans who害羞草研究所檇 remained on the sidelines. , who ran for the GOP nomination himself but failed to catch fire, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio endorsed him Sunday. In picking Trump, Rubio passed over DeSantis, the governor of his home state, and Haley, who endorsed Rubio at a crucial moment in his own unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign.

Some voters, too, were waiting until the last minute to make up their minds.

Judy Knowler, 64, of Peosta, had hoped to see Haley in person to help her make up her mind.

害羞草研究所淚 have one foot in Nikki害羞草研究所檚 camp but we害羞草研究所檒l see,害羞草研究所� she said in Dubuque. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 an opportunity most Americans don害羞草研究所檛 get to be this close in person.害羞草研究所�

After his rally, Trump dropped by a Casey害羞草研究所檚 convenience store in Waukee with Burgum, where he picked up two pizzas and briefly chatted with reporters. 害羞草研究所淏ig day, I think, for our country,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淎s you can see there害羞草研究所檚 been tremendous enthusiasm.害羞草研究所�

He later stopped at a firehouse, where he talked with firefighters about their trucks, posed for photos and asked for a slice of the pizza they were eating.

Fingerhut reported from Dubuque, Iowa, and Cooper reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in Indianola, Iowa, and Meg Kinnard in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.

Thomas Beaumont, Hannah Fingerhut And Jonathan J. Cooper, The Associated Press