Donald Trump’s margin of victory unclear
Donald Trump scored a decisive victory in South Carolina’s Republican primary on Saturday, defeating rival Nikki Haley in his home state and continuing his march toward the nomination and a rematch with Joe Biden at the White House.
Trump swept the first four major nominating contests, turning a year of blockbuster polling into a potentially insurmountable lead heading into Super Tuesday, a 10-day rush to vote in 15 states.
Although Haley has repeatedly questioned the 77-year-old former president’s mental health and warned of the “chaos” a Trump re-election would bring, her efforts do not appear to have hurt his standing among Republicans.
The margin of victory was unclear but was expected to be huge, with major US television networks calling the election results within seconds of polls closing.
Haley, the popular South Carolina governor in the 2010s and the only woman running on a Republican ticket, hopes to exceed expectations in her own backyard and sail into Super Tuesday.
But she has never been able to compete in a battleground that prefers Trump’s brand of right-wing “America First” populism and personal dissatisfaction with the four indictments and multiple civil lawsuits he faces.
Trump had won Iowa by 30 points and New Hampshire by 10 points, while a dispute in Nevada left the real estate mogul unopposed in the official race.
The margin of Trump’s victory was always a major issue in South Carolina, and analysts considered Haley’s ability to close the gap to 15 points or less to count it as a good night.
However, Trump aides have made clear they want to send Haley away as early as July’s Republican National Convention and expect the party to be united ahead of the front-runner’s first criminal trial on March 25. around the leader.
‘confusion’
Trump made clear on Saturday that he was considering other than Haley to run against Biden in November.
Trump spoke before the polls closed at the Conservative Political Action Committee meeting, a must-stop for Republican politicians, spending much of the time bashing Biden rather than Haley.
Haley, a traditional conservative who supports limited government and a tough foreign policy, believes a Trump presidency will be mired in scandal from day one.
The 52-year-old former U.N. ambassador underscored the point on Saturday, calling Trump’s remarks to black conservatives on the campaign trail “abhorrent.”
Trump acknowledged his multiple indictments, saying, “Black people love me because they’ve been so hurt and discriminated against, they actually think I’ve been discriminated against.”
Haley also blasted Trump’s response to the death of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny – in which he avoided criticizing President Vladimir Putin – and his threats to encourage Moscow to attack companies that don’t meet their financial obligations. NATO countries.
Her core argument – that polls show she would do better than Trump in a hypothetical matchup with Biden – may have fallen on deaf ears, but she has vowed to stay in the race on Super Tuesday.
Analysts say she is building her profile for the 2028 campaign and is ready to step in if legal or health issues cause Trump to withdraw from the race.
“Nikki Haley is an incredible role model,” said Julie Taylor, a Republican voter. “She didn’t give up and she showed strength, grace and courage.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
