Five takeaways from the South Carolina GOP primary

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Former President Trump won a landslide victory Saturday in the South Carolina primary over his home state rival Nikki Haley.

The election was decided in favor of Trump shortly after voting closed at 7 p.m. ET.By just before 10 p.m., it had returned 83%, giving the Republican front-runner a 21-point margin of victory.

Michigan’s next primary election will be held on Tuesday, followed by Super Tuesday, when more than a dozen states vote on March 5th.

Here are key takeaways from the Palmetto State primary.

Trump’s landslide victory puts him on track to win the nomination

Don’t get me wrong: Barring some major upheaval, Trump will be the Republican nominee in 2024.

The former president has won four wins and lost four in the primaries so far. Here in South Carolina, Haley slammed the state in which she was twice elected governor.

Trump’s victory speech in Columbia made it clear how much the state’s Republican establishment supported him. Sens. Tim Scott (RS.C.) and Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) both gave short speeches on his behalf, as did Gov. Henry McMaster (R).

Haley spoke alone on stage to a small audience in Charleston.

She continues to insist that Trump cannot win the November election. But there’s no real reason to believe that her cause will win support among Republican voters elsewhere, even though it didn’t work for her here.

This is not necessarily a failure of the former governor, but simply a reflection of the Republican base remaining enamored with President Trump.

So far, the former president’s margin of victory in every state has been double digits.

Except for the shouting, all the nomination battles are over.

Haley won’t quit

Republican presidential candidate and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at an election night event in Charleston, South Carolina, Saturday, February 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

A few weeks ago, there was a big question before the South Carolina primary whether Haley would drop out of the race.

Trump’s allies then predicted that a crushing defeat here would spell the end.

It wasn’t.

Haley’s speech in the Palmetto State amounted to a resounding declaration that the fight would continue, at least until Super Tuesday.

She got one of the biggest cheers of the night when she added, “I’m a woman of my word,” referring to a promise she had previously made.

Her rationale is that even though so many Americans are not enthusiastic about a matchup between President Biden and President Trump, they are not going to “give up on this fight.”

Haley ramped up her rhetoric, suggesting such bilious races meant “America is falling apart.”

The former governor had his best fundraising month ever in January, so he has the resources to continue. And while she has some fervent supporters, they aren’t large enough to actually soften her influence on President Trump’s nomination.

Nell Parker, one of her supporters here, told The Hill that Haley should stay here “as long as she has the money to keep the lights on.”

The Republican Party is now the MAGA party.

Signs are seen before former President Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday, February 24, 2024, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

Trump’s margin of victory is not the only indicator of his dominance within the party.

That means most Republican voters in South Carolina fully share his worldview.

The Associated Press’ VoteCast voter survey shows, at least early results, that six in 10 Republican voters in the Palmetto State oppose continued U.S. aid to Ukraine. This was bad news for Haley, an attack in a state with a strong military tradition.

Polls show that about 7 in 10 Republican voters in the state accept Mr. Trump’s claims that the various investigations into his conduct are an attempt to undermine him.

Given these numbers, it’s no wonder that about 6 in 10 Republicans here consider themselves supporters of the MAGA movement.

For better or worse, the Republican Party is now Trump’s party.

President Trump’s comments still raise red flags for the general election

Former President Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday, February 24, 2024, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

Despite Trump’s lead in the Republican primary, doubts about his chances of winning the president in November persist.

It’s not just because of the 91 criminal charges he faces. It’s also because of his inflammatory tendencies.

He displayed that trend again on Friday, on the eve of the local primary, when he spoke at the Black Conservative Union’s annual gala.

Mr. Trump said that black Americans had “embraced” his mug shot, and very clumsily tried to suggest that black voters would see common ground in his indictment.

“I was indicted for nothing, for nothing,” President Trump said. “And a lot of people said that’s why black people like me. In fact, they saw me as being discriminated against. It was great, but maybe there’s something there.”

The next morning, Haley slammed those comments after voting on Kiawah Island, South Carolina.

“It’s disgusting, but this is what happens when Donald Trump turns off his teleprompter. That’s the chaos that comes with Donald Trump. That’s the attack that will continue every day until the general election,” she predicted.

Of course, another controversy won’t separate Trump’s supporters who are now sticking with him. But his rhetoric is often campy at best, hampering his chances of persuading voters.

As Democrats often point out, Trump lost the popular vote in both 2016 and 2020.

Haley’s attacks could disrupt President Trump beyond the Republican base

Haley’s attack won’t derail Trump’s bid for the Republican nomination, but it could resonate with moderates and help Democrats make their case against the former president in November. .

In her speech on Saturday, Haley took issue with President Trump’s use of the word “pest” to describe his political opponents.

In the days leading up to the primary, she said there was no way Trump could win the general election. She accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “taking sides” in his recent comments about NATO. She characterized him as a narcissist, and she mocked him for never wearing a military uniform.

Trump supporters want Haley out of the race, in part because of the potential damage she could do with her comments. Rep. Nancy Mace (RS.C.) made this claim directly when she spoke with The Hill at President Trump’s Friday rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

But the former president shot down any threat that Haley would receive more votes than her.

But while Haley’s words are prime fodder for Democratic attack ads, they could still hurt him in the run-up to November.