Decision 2016

Iowa Caucuses: Best Lines From the Candidates’ Speeches

February 2, 2016 By Paul Gleiser

As results poured in from the Iowa caucuses, the 2016 presidential hopefuls took to packed venues to address their supporters one last time before moving on to New Hampshire and other early nominating states.

For some, it was a night of celebration. For others, tonight’s results come as a disappointment after weeks of campaigning across the Hawkeye state.

Here are some of the highlights from Monday night’s speeches:

Ted Cruz

The projected winner of the Iowa Republican caucuses walked on a stage at the Iowa State Fair Grounds to thunderous cheers and applause.

“Tonight is a victory for the grassroots. Tonight is a victory for courageous conservatives across Iowa, and all across this great nation,” he said. “Tonight the state of Iowa has spoken. Iowa has sent notice that the Republican nominee for the next president of the United States will not be chosen by the media. Will not be chosen by the Washington establishment. Will not be chosen by the lobbyists. But will be chosen by the most incredible powerful force, where all sovereignty resides in our nation by we the people. The American people.”

Donald Trump

Trump was projected to finish second behind Cruz.

“I’m just honored, I’m really honored, and I want to congratulate Ted and I want to congratulate all the incredible candidates including Mike Huckabee who’s become a really good friend of mine. So congratulations to everybody,” Trump said.

Trump said he looked forward to New Hampshire, but had a few last words about the state he had just lost in.

“I think I might come here and buy a farm, I love it,” Trump said.

Marco Rubio

The Florida senator thanked God, his wife, family and then his competition.

“I want to congratulate my friend senator Ted Cruz,” Rubio said. “I want to thank another good friend of mine governor Mike Huckabee, for his service to our country. He has announced tonight he’s suspending his campaign. We have tremendous admiration for governor Huckabee and we thank him for all he’s done.”

“They told me that we have no chance because my hair wasn’t gray enough and my boots were too high. They told me I needed to wait my turn, that I needed to wait in line.”

Martin O’Malley

The former Maryland governor had one of the worst nights, failing to win a single county and announced that he was suspending his presidential campaign. At his concession speech, O’Malley rejected the anti-immigrant rhetoric of Trump.

“We need to continue to hold strong to the truth that the enduring symbol of the United States of America is not the barbed wire fence,” he said. “It is the statue of liberty.”

Hillary Clinton

The former Secretary of State declared early on that she was the winner of the Democratic Iowa caucus even though the race was too close to project.

“This has been an incredible honor to campaign across Iowa, with so many of you to make the case for the kind of future, we want.”

Clinton acknowledged that there is a real “difference of opinion” about how to best achieve the goals of the Democratic Party, but she emphasized her campaign stands for “what is best in America” and hammered the Republican Party.

“When it is all said and done, we have to be united,” Clinton said. “A Republican vision and candidates that would drive us apart and divide us.

Bernie Sanders

While Clinton was ready to say she won, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders did not feel as comfortable with that rhetoric in front of supporters at a Des Moines Holiday Inn quite yet.

“Nine months ago we came to this beautiful state,” Sanders said. “We had no political organization, we had no money, we had no name recognition. And we were taking on the most powerful political organization in the United States of America. And tonight while the results are still not known, it looks like we are in a virtual tie.”

Sanders congratulated Clinton and her organization for “waging a very vigorous campaign.” He also thanked O’Malley and said, “It’s never easy to lose. I’ve lost more than one campaign.”

He said O’Malley contributed a lot to the dialogue and ran an issue-oriented campaign.

“I think the people of Iowa have sent a very profound message to the political establishment, to the economic establishment, and by the way, to the media establishment,” Sanders said about the night’s events.

ABC News has not projected a winner because the race is too close.