The New York Daily News has taken aim at Donald Trump on its front page on Tuesday, as he came in behind Ted Cruz in the Iowa caucus. 

The polls showed that it was a close run race, but the junior Senator from Texas came in ahead of Trump.

The New York Daily News, which has not been on Trump's side since he first announced his candidacy, took the opportunity to label him a "clown", running a photoshopped image of the presidential hopeful on its front page. 

Despite the setback, Trump said that he was "honoured" to have come in second, and thanked all the people who had campaigned for him in Iowa, and saying "I absolutely love the people of Iowa" in a speech after the results were in.

"On June 16th, when we started this journey," said Trump, "there were 17 candidates. I was told by everybody do not go to Iowa, you could never finish even in the top 10 [...] we finished second, and I want to tell you something, I'm just honoured, I'm really honoured".

Trump also congratulated Cruz and the other candidates, giving specific mention to Mike Huckabee, who suspended his campaign after the caucus results. 

While there was a clear winner in the Republican nomination, there was a close run race on the Democratic front, as Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton were tied.