Iowa Democratic Party chair on Monday: This is 'the most prepared we've ever been'

Troy Price
(Image credit: CBS This Morning)

So, this didn't age well.

Monday's Iowa caucuses were something of a disaster, with no winner declared as of Tuesday morning amid technical glitches apparently associated with a new app and "inconsistencies in the reporting." Meanwhile, presidential campaigns are already moving on to New Hampshire.

But the chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, Troy Price, exuded some real "what could possibly go wrong" energy the day of the caucuses, as CBS This Morning brutally pointed out on Tuesday. In an interview conducted Monday and aired Tuesday morning, CBS' Major Garrett specifically asked Price if the party was prepared for a "nightmare scenario." His response?

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"These are probably the most prepared we've ever been as a party for these caucuses," Price declared. "We've run through a few different scenarios, but I can tell you, we're ready."

Cut to after midnight on the night of the caucuses, when Price was phoning reporters and campaigns to explain why results hadn't been reported. Speaking to journalists, Price cited "a reporting issue," proceeding to get off the phone after less than one minute and taking no questions. On a phone call with campaign officials, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) senior adviser Jeff Weaver "got into a tense exchange" with Price, The Washington Post reports. The Post also reports that local officials had been raising concerns about the new app used for this year's caucuses — Polk County Democratic Party's chair said, "We knew the app was a problem last Thursday." Brendan Morrow

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.