Donald Trump defeated Nikki Haley in her home state of South Carolina, but the painful setback narrowed her fading path to the nomination.
The Associated Press clearly showed Trump’s landslide victory in Haley’s home state, and the South Carolina primary went to Trump as voting closed at 7 p.m. ET.
Voters in the Palmetto State have a long history of ultimately choosing their party’s nominee, and Mr. Trump is on track to confirm the Republican nominee in the months ahead of the party’s summer convention in Milwaukee.
“I just want to say I’ve never seen the Republican Party as united as it is right now,” Trump told supporters at a victory party in Colombia. “It’s a great night. It’s an early evening and it’s great.”
Trump swept through the early voting states, winning victories and delegates in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. Defeating Haley, who served as U.N. ambassador, in her home state dealt another blow to her candidacy, pushing her further away from winning the nomination.
Addressing supporters in Charleston, Haley insisted she was not withdrawing from the race despite her fourth consecutive loss and insisted that Trump cannot defeat Joe Biden in the general election.
“What I saw today was dissatisfaction in South Carolina with the direction of our country. I’ve seen similar dissatisfaction across the country. I share it. I feel it with all my heart.” said Haley. “I said earlier this week that no matter what happens in South Carolina, I will continue to run for president. I am a woman of my word.”
Haley’s campaign announced Friday that it will begin a “seven-figure” national cable TV and digital programming purchase ahead of Super Tuesday on March 5. On Sunday, he will host a rally in Michigan, which holds the Feb. 27 primary, before embarking on a cross-country tour of several Super Tuesday states.
Her refusal to be forced out of the race has frustrated Mr. Trump and his allies. They argue that Mr. Haley, who likened himself to David fighting Goliath, has no path to victory, relying on wealthy donors to maintain his ambitious goals and simply prolong the inevitable. I’m blaming.
Trump campaign spokesman Stephen Chan said Saturday before voting closed. “In fact, Haley’s campaign has now turned into a full-fledged ‘Never Trump’ operation, with her as Crooked Joe Biden’s biggest surrogate. The primaries end tonight, and it’s time to move on to the general election.” has arrived.”
But Haley’s supporters say they appreciate her presence in the race as a reminder of what the future Republican Party will look like. Haley, 52, may be laying the groundwork for her future presidential run, or she is clearly preparing for the unusual situation where Trump is no longer her party’s nominee. Some people think that he is being positioned as a 2nd candidate.
In addition to 91 felonies, Trump faces mounting legal costs and huge fines, which he is using campaign funds to pay. Haley told voters at the event that it’s “unusual” for candidates to spend more time in court than on the campaign trail or to ask donors to pay for legal costs.
But Trump’s legal woes, stemming from his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, have only strengthened his support. is.
In recent days, the Trump campaign has already begun to focus on the general election contest with Biden, who is on track to win the party’s nomination without any significant primary challenges. The Trump campaign is actively working to take control of the Republican National Committee and is expected to remain neutral in the primary.
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President Trump started his day in Washington, delivering a sombre speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), before returning to South Carolina and attending an election night watch party in the state’s capital, Columbia.
Earlier in the day, Haley cast her vote in her home district of Kiawah Island. He then went on an interstate bus tour to Charleston to speak at an election night watch party. In remarks to his supporters, Haley argued that participating in his campaign was a democratic obligation.
“An additional 21 states and territories are expected to speak over the next 10 days,” Haley said. “They deserve a real choice, not a Soviet-style election with only one candidate. And I have an obligation to give them that choice.”
While Haley has vowed to stay in the primary as long as possible, Trump has already made it clear he is turning his attention to the general election. Addressing his supporters in Columbia, President Trump predicted that his decisive victory in South Carolina would soon be repeated in Michigan, where the primary will be held on Tuesday.
“Michigan is over. We’re going to have great success there. And there’s something called Super Tuesday,” President Trump said. “Thank you, South Carolina. Go home. Rest. We have a lot of work ahead of us.”
