Donald Trump crushed Nikki Haley in South Carolina

Published on: 02/25/2024 – 01:09

3 minutes

In a rush to plan a duel with Biden, Donald Trump handed his last Republican rival, Nikki Haley, a big defeat during the South Carolina primary on Saturday, February 24. The blow is even more brutal for the fifty-year-old, who embodies the more moderate wing of the Republican Party, because it comes in a state where she was governor for six years. However, she refused to throw in the towel.

In a sign that the former president no longer considers Nikki Haley a threat, Donald Trump took aim at the current master of the White House in one of his first victory announcements. “Joe (Biden), you’re fired!”, he launched from the state capital of Columbia, using his favorite slogan from the days of the reality TV set. In front of him was an assembly of his supporters who burst into cheers and applause.

Like the other four previous elections, which aim to nominate the Republican candidate for the presidential election in November, the former American president was ruthless. Donald Trump’s victory was predicted by American media within seconds of polls closing – although the exact margin is not yet known. Despite his legal troubles, some of which put him at risk of prison, the flamboyant septuagenarian is the far-right’s favorite candidate, according to all polls.

“Beat Joe the Scum”

The result of the primary is clear, University of South Carolina political scientist David Darmofal analyzed for AFP: “This shows that he is now effectively the Republican presidential candidate. The speed of this result is probably increasing the pressure on him to withdraw from the race.

Donald Trump hopes to force his former ambassador to the UN to throw in the towel so he can focus his attacks on Democrat Joe Biden, who is seeking a second term in November.

But Nikki Haley, 52, is hanging on, refusing for the moment to give up the race for the Republican nomination. “I’m not giving up this fight,” she told her supporters during a rally in Charleston, vowing to continue “the fight for America.” This woman’s plea, the only one running among Republicans, is simple: “We will not put up with four more years of Trump chaos.”

Taking advantage of her rival’s new controversial comments, Nikki Haley slammed her on Saturday. Embattled in the cases, he suggested that his charges made him a sympathetic candidate in the eyes of black voters. “This is the chaos that is with Donald Trump, and these kinds of offensive comments will continue every day until the election,” Nikki Haley said. Donald Trump’s team shot down his argument.

Hearing on March 25

After Saturday, so the two rivals should face each other on Tuesday in Michigan. Republicans in Idaho, Missouri and North Dakota will then vote in turn, an orderly ballet that will lead the candidates to Super Tuesday, one of the biggest political events of the year. On March 5, nearly 15 states, including Texas, California, Colorado and Virginia, will simultaneously hold their polls during a key election day.

The primaries could in theory extend into July. But according to polls, Nikki Haley is not the favorite in any of her states and the Trump team is already predicting a victory “on March 19.”

So why is she still in the race? “They’re waiting to see if Trump gets knocked out of the game by a court decision or a health problem,” political scientist Larry Sabato explained to AFP. Donald Trump’s first criminal trial will begin on March 25.

with AFP