AMES, IOWA -- Teresa Garman has attended decades worth of Iowa caucuses, but views Monday鈥檚 meeting as the most consequential.

Despite forecasts predicting negative temperatures, the 86-year-old Ames resident said the cold wouldn鈥檛 deter her from showing up to back Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis 鈥 even if she doesn鈥檛 think he鈥檒l beat former President Donald Trump.

鈥淚 think Trump is probably going to win the Iowa caucus and hopefully DeSantis will be next,鈥 Garman, a former Iowa state representative, said ahead of a DeSantis event here. She said she hoped the Florida governor would come in second 鈥渏ust in case Trump isn鈥檛 able to run.鈥

Trump 鈥 and his myriad legal troubles 鈥 have loomed large over the GOP presidential primary, especially as Republicans in the Hawkeye State make their final decision on who to back in Monday night鈥檚 caucuses. Polls have shown the former president with a commanding lead over the field both in Iowa and nationally, even as he faces four indictments and awaits a Supreme Court decision over efforts to remove him from the ballot in Colorado.

In interviews, Iowans expressed an array of opinions on Trump鈥檚 legal problems, from anger over what they say they believe is a 鈥渨itch hunt,鈥 echoing the former president鈥檚 criticism, to a desire to move on and focus on issues plaguing the country.

Trump鈥檚 rivals have taken different approaches to manage those views. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley refers to the 鈥渃haos鈥 that follows the former president. DeSantis, who often says Trump 鈥渋s running for his issues鈥 while he runs on voters鈥 issues, has also argued the legal challenges would be a distraction in a general election.

For his part, Vivek Ramaswamy has instead leaned into defending Trump. This week, the biotech entrepreneur filed an amicus brief supporting the former president鈥檚 efforts to remain on the Colorado ballot. He has also started telling voters that voting for him is the best way to save Trump.

In a YouGov/CBS News poll conducted last month, 58 per cent of likely GOP caucus voters said they would support Trump, 22 per cent said DeSantis, 13 per cent said Haley and 4 per cent said Ramaswamy. Among those who were considering voting for Trump, 54 per cent said one of the reasons they鈥檙e for him was to show support during his legal struggles. Among those who were not considering the former president, 57 per cent said Trump was controversial and 48 per cent said they were concerned about his legal issues.

The former president and his allies have made the legal fights a key part of the campaign. Trump made two optional court appearances this week 鈥 a federal court of appeals case hearing over whether he has presidential immunity and closing arguments in his New York civil fraud case 鈥 while his surrogates and rivals campaigned across Iowa.

During a brief speech at the Machine Shed, a popular restaurant in Urbandale, Donald Trump Jr. blasted prosecutors and the various cases against his father, which he baselessly described as a broader conspiracy orchestrated by President Joe Biden.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 nice about it, as brutal as it is for us to deal with on a daily basis, is they鈥檙e showing their hand,鈥 Trump Jr. said. 鈥淵ou understand the game that they鈥檙e playing.鈥

Marian Webster, a 69-year-old from Urbandale who attended the event, said she鈥檚 been for Trump since the day he came down the escalator at Trump Tower to announce his 2016 bid and expected the primary season to end quickly in his favor. She echoed the former president, calling the charges against him a 鈥減olitical witch hunt鈥 and blamed Biden.

Asked if she鈥檚 concerned about 鈥渃haos鈥 following Trump 鈥 Haley鈥檚 common refrain 鈥 Webster said she wasn鈥檛.

鈥淚 know the chaos has nothing to do with Trump,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all the Democrats.鈥

Trump鈥檚 rivals have faced increased pressure to draw sharper distinctions between themselves and the front-runner, as polling has not shown a competitive race for the nomination. When it comes to his legal challenges, candidates have focused on Trump鈥檚 electability.

鈥淚f Trump is the nominee, it鈥檚 going to be about Jan. 6, legal issues, criminal trials,鈥 DeSantis said during a CNN debate Wednesday.

Sandy Wigdahl, an Ames resident in her 50s who attended a DeSantis event at Jethro鈥檚 BBQ, said she preferred that the Florida governor focused on voters鈥 issues instead of getting caught up in 鈥減olitical theater.鈥

鈥淚 think what they鈥檙e doing to Trump is not right. It鈥檚 not good,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut we need to pick a president, so we want to know what the person is going to do about the issues that we care about.鈥

Dan Boyle, an Iowa voter who attended a Haley event in Ankeny outside Des Moines, said that while the former UN ambassador needs to choose her words better, he鈥檚 only interested in caucusing for her.

Asked if he would vote for Trump in the general election if he becomes the nominee, Boyle said he wasn鈥檛 sure.

鈥淗e鈥檚 got a lot of noise right now. He鈥檚 got a lot on his table,鈥 Boyle said. 鈥淚 think he鈥檚 a good man. I think he does a lot of good things鈥 but yeah, I don鈥檛 know if I鈥檒l be voting for him.鈥

Even some of Trump鈥檚 staunchest supporters worry about his electability.

At a house party in Clive for Ramaswamy Thursday night, Pat Goodman, a 57-year-old from West Des Moines, asked the candidate what he thought Trump鈥檚 biggest mistake was. Goodman said that while he liked Trump鈥檚 policies, he鈥檚 debating between caucusing for Ramaswamy or DeSantis because he doesn鈥檛 think Trump can draw independents and moderates in a general election.

鈥淚 like all of the policies that he implemented as president, and I felt like his tweets were sometimes unpresidential,鈥 Goodman said. 鈥淚 think that that drives other voters away from him, even though I think he was an excellent president for the things that he did and accomplished.鈥

Ramaswamy, Trump鈥檚 most vocal defender in the race, has taken a unique approach to running against the former president, by arguing it would be better for Trump if Ramaswamy wins.

Loren Sherman, a 41-year-old from Waukee, attended the Ramaswamy house party in a 鈥淪ave Trump Vote Vivek鈥 shirt, which included a black and white picture of Trump鈥檚 mugshot outlined by the shape of Iowa. Sherman said the shirt was part of a swag bag he received from the campaign as a precinct captain.

鈥淚 think that Vivek is, in a roundabout way, even better for Trump than Trump being in there,鈥 Sherman said. 鈥淰ivek will pardon him, and he has eight years ahead of him, instead of just four.鈥

CNN鈥檚 Ebony Davis, Kit Maher and Veronica Stracqualursi contributed to this report