When it comes to campaigning in the critical early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, Republican primary front-runner Donald Trump is taking an unusual approach.

With his confrontational style and politically incorrect proposals, Trump has already taken the race for the 2016 GOP nomination in an unexpected direction.

Iowa and New Hampshire are known for their small, intimate campaign events and for the importance of endorsements from local insiders. However, Trump has challenged those conventions.

The candidate has gone so far as to insult Iowa's voters in November over questions surrounding Ben Carson's autobiography, The Hill reported.

"How stupid are the people of Iowa?" he said. "How stupid are the people of the country to believe this crap?"

But his abrasive style does not seem to have hurt the real estate mogul, who in recent Iowa polls has consistently logged a close second behind Tea Party favorite Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the political publication noted.

In New Hampshire, meanwhile, the former "Apprentice" star leads surveys, even though he has waged an open battle against the state's largest and most influential newspaper.

"McQuaid is Christie's lapdog," Trump said on Dec. 28 during a 10-minute rant about Joe McQuaid, the publisher of the New Hampshire Union Leader. "It's a dying paper. Since 1980 they've picked one president ­-- Ronald Reagan," he added about the paper's endorsements.

Trump has also hosted only 23 campaign events in the Granite State, which The Hill called a "strikingly low number." Trying to catch up to Cruz in the Hawkeye State, however, he promised Iowans on Dec. 29 that he would be in their state "so much you're going to get so sick of me," according to NBC News.

The GOP front-runner challenged observers who predict that he might have difficulties turning out supporters for the Feb. 1 caucus because many of his backers are not traditional caucus-goers and might stay at home instead.

"I really hope that doesn't happen," Trump said. "You call every one of them on February 1st, and you make sure they get out and vote."