Where the GOP race stands with 1 week until Iowa caucuses

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• Amna Nawaz:

  The final countdown to Iowa has begun.

  With just a week to go before the GOP's first contest of the 2024 presidential election cycle, republican candidates are crisscrossing the first-in-the-nation caucus state, hoping to court a key voting bloc.

  Freezing temperatures didn't slow down Sunday services at the First Church of God in Des Moines.

  Pastor Charles Hundley, First Church of God: The heart of God has something to say about our culture.

  Where Pastor Charles Hundley delivered a message of faith and politics.

• Pastor Charles Hundley:

  It doesn't matter, lord, what our opinion is. It's really what's your opinion that matters. But you have given us the privilege of being able to exercise a beautiful gift, the gift to vote.

• Amna Nawaz:

  In recent election cycles, nearly two-thirds of Republican caucus-goers have been evangelical Christians. And they could once again be critical to determining who wins the GOP contest next week.

  In a recent Des Moines Register/NBC News Iowa poll, former President Donald Trump was their overwhelming favorite, garnering support from more than 50 percent of Republican evangelicals, 25 points ahead of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

• Cindy Carey, Church Attendee:

  I am going to be for Trump all the way. That's just me.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Trump's support was on display in church yesterday, where Cindy Carey drew a distinction between Trump's personal life and his political positions.

• Cindy Carey:

  I wouldn't vote for him as my pastor. I want him to lead our nation back to that city on a hill, that shining city on a hill. He supports life. He is somebody who loves America. He wants us to have closed borders, so we can be a nation.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Trump took up that message as he barnstormed Iowa over the weekend, hitting the Biden administration for record border crossings last month.

  Donald Trump , Former President of the United States (R) and Current U.S. Presidential Candidate: Millions of illegal aliens are invading from all over the world. They are invading us, like a military invasion.

• Amna Nawaz:

  And despite his lead, he turned his ire towards his top rivals.

• Donald Trump :

  Nikki would sell you out just like she sold me out.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Just weeks after former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley was criticized for not mentioning slavery as the cause of the Civil War, Trump's own comments drew backlash.

• Donald Trump :

  The Civil War was so fascinating, so horrible. So many mistakes were made. See, there was something I think could have been negotiated, to be honest with you.

  Nikki Haley (R), Presidential Candidate: The sky is clearing up. It's almost there. But what an important day it's going to be.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Haley also campaigned in Iowa as she battles with DeSantis to be the Trump alternative, and she dismissed Trump's attacks on the campaign trail and airwaves.

• Nikki Haley:

  God bless President Trump. He's been on a temper tantrum every day about me talking about things, and everything he's saying is not true.

• Amna Nawaz:

  DeSantis made his own closing pitch over the weekend.

• Gov. Ron Desantis, Presidential Candidate:

  The choice on the 15th is clear. Donald Trump is running for his issues. Nikki Haley is running for her donors' issues. I'm running for your issues and your family's issues and to turn this country around.

• Amna Nawaz:

  But Trump continued his campaign of grievance politics, telling voters that he's fighting on their behalf.

• Donald Trump :

  They want to silence me because I will never let them silence you. And in the end, they're not after me. They're after you. I just happened to be standing in their way.

• Amna Nawaz:

  It's that message that resonates with many of the critical evangelical voters, like Ron Betts, who is planning to support Trump next week.

• Ron Betts, Church Attendee:

  I just think he exemplifies everything that Jesus would do if he was here. In fact, I think they are doing the same thing they did to Jesus on the cross.