With his decisive victory over Nikki Haley in South Carolina, Donald Trump is now one step closer to receiving the GOP presidential nominee. The former president won the home state of his main rival by a 20-point margin, marking his fourth straight triumph. As he celebrated, Mr. Trump did not address his opponent; instead, he focused on the general election in November.
That will probably be a rematch in the White House with his successor. “We’re going to look Joe Biden right in the eye,” he declared to his supporters on Saturday night, only minutes after American media had declared him the winner. “We’re going to tell Joe to get out; you’re fired. He’s ruining our country.” After the results on Saturday, Mr. Trump praised the “unity” of his party, stating: “There’s never been a spirit like this.
It was a change from his reaction to the New Hampshire primary last month, when he angrily denounced Ms. Haley for “making a speech like she won.”
In her remarks, Ms. Haley, a former popular two-term governor of South Carolina, congratulated her opponent on winning.
She declared that the approximately 40% of the vote she earned was “not some tiny group,” though, and she pledged to continue running.
“A significant portion of voters in our Republican primary are expressing their desire for an alternative,” she stated, underscoring the fact that her prolonged campaign was unrelated to her personal political goals.
Although the majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden, she continued, “I’m not giving up this fight.”
The Trump campaign dismissed former US President Haley’s continued efforts in the South Carolina primary, stating that her “delusion is clouding her judgement and she is no longer living in reality.” The campaign predicted that Haley would accumulate enough delegates to formally clinch the nomination within the next month.
Despite facing long odds, Haley’s campaign is still standing due to contributions from deep-pocketed donors. In January, Haley raised $16.5m, her largest monthly total so far. Trump made his victory speech shortly after the race was called, and exit polling shows that he bested Haley with both men and women, and among all age groups.
Haley re-committed to staying in the race until Super Tuesday, 5 March, when voters in 16 states will cast their ballots on the same day. Trump is increasingly relying on donations to cover his soaring legal costs. The Republican Party could come to his aid, with Trump endorsing key allies to lead its national committee.
(BBC)
