DES MOINES, Iowa — Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll Schumer, Sanders call for Senate panel to address election security MORE (I-Vt.) pledged to supporters that he would do “very, very well” when the results of the Iowa caucuses finally come in — whenever that may be.

The caucuses descended into a debacle late Monday night as results were delayed past midnight Eastern Time.

The reasons for the delay remain unclear, although there have been persistent reports that an app used for reporting results malfunctioned.

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Sanders addressed the problem at the beginning of his remarks, noting wryly that he had a “strong feeling that at some point the results will be announced.”

Sanders had been the favorite to win the caucuses, where he has led in most recent polls and drawn larger crowds than any other candidate.

But there is no way of knowing yet whether he has been deprived of a critical boost or has avoided a political embarrassment by the delay in the results.

In the absence of actual results, Sanders stuck largely to his stump speech, blasting President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE as a “pathological liar,” as he often does, and making his signature calls for universal health care and free public college education.

Other candidates had seized the spotlight before Sanders spoke. Former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenThe Memo: Warning signs flash for Trump on debates Senate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden National postal mail handlers union endorses Biden MORE and Sens. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenNo new taxes for the ultra rich — fix bad tax policy instead Democrats back away from quick reversal of Trump tax cuts It's time for newspapers to stop endorsing presidential candidates MORE (D-Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar Amy KlobucharEPA delivers win for ethanol industry angered by waivers to refiners It's time for newspapers to stop endorsing presidential candidates Biden marks anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, knocks Trump and McConnell MORE (D-Minn.) had already delivered remarks before Sanders took to the stage here at a Holiday Inn adjacent to the Des Moines International Airport.

Sanders is scheduled to hold a rally in New Hampshire on Tuesday evening. He is leading the polls in the Granite State, where the primary will take place on Feb. 11.

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One question that remains unanswerable thus far is whether New Hampshire assumes even greater importance than usual because the impact of Iowa is so dulled by the results fiasco.

The atmosphere at Sanders headquarters was as confused and anticlimactic as at every other campaign headquarters — and across the political world.

Supporters were dismayed by the delay and suspicious about the lack of transparency around it.

Aru Shiney-Ajay, a Sanders volunteer from beyond Iowa, told The Hill that she had been left "very frustrated" by the delay.

She said that Sanders's candidacy, along with that of Warren, had shown the appetite for progressive change in Democratic circles.

"I hope that the Democratic Party understands that and doesn't stand in the way of it," she said.

“The message that Iowa has sent to the nation is that we want a government that represents all of us, not just wealthy campaign contributors and the 1 percent,” Sanders gamely told his supporters.

The problem, of course, is that as midnight struck on the East Coast, no one had any real idea what message Iowa has sent.