Asked in an NBC News interview on Saturday about speculation he'd quit the race if he loses in Iowa, Trump said, “There's no 'maybes.' I'm not leaving.”
Shawnda Starr, 39, a pre-school teacher from Centerville, said she changed her voter registration from independent to Republican last week so that she can caucus for Trump.
Asked if Trump had ever said anything that concerned her, Starr said no, including his proposed temporary ban on allowing Muslims into the U.S. "I want people coming here for the right reasons, not to cause harm to people," she said.
Some of those turning out to see Trump had to wait outside in line for up to 30 minutes, in frigid temperatures of around 15 degrees Fahrenheit (-9C), to be cleared through a security screening.
Darin Garvett, 45, a construction company owner from Bloomfield, said he waited about 10 minutes, but didn't mind. He plans to go to the caucuses for the first time in his life, to support Trump.
"I get irritated with how career politicians tell people what they want," he said. "Career politicians make a living of spending taxpayer money, instead of earning money."