The Slatest

Trump Loses Iowa, Weirdly Doesn’t Whine or Shout About It in Concession Speech

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump appears at his Iowa Caucus gathering on Feb. 1, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa.  

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Donald Trump has gloated about his poll numbers and all but guaranteed victory throughout his loud, unlikely campaign. But after his second-place finish in the Iowa caucus behind Sen. Ted Cruz, the reality television star delivered a surprisingly subdued concession speech. “They said don’t do it, I said I have to do it. I’m really honored,” Trump said. Rather than calling his competitors losers, referring to Megyn Kelly’s menstrual cycle, or making bigoted remarks about Muslims and Mexicans, as is Trump’s wont, he congratulated Cruz, and promised to defeat Hillary Clinton. Despite closing with a strange suggestion that he’ll come back to Iowa to buy a farm, the Donald—for the first time throughout this circus—finally sounded like the one thing he doesn’t want to sound like: a politician.

Watch Trump’s full remarks:

Read more Slate coverage of the GOP primary.