Trump Wins South Carolina, Defeating Indian-American Haley and Further Closing In On GOP Nomination – News18

Former US President Donald Trump won South Carolina’s Republican primary on Saturday, beating Indian-American candidate Nikki Haley in her home state and further solidifying his path to a third straight GOP nomination. Trump has now swept every contest that counted for Republican delegates, with wins already in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and the US Virgin Islands.

The former US president’s latest win will likely increase pressure on Haley, who was Trump’s former representative to the UN and South Carolina governor from 2011 to 2017, to leave the race. This result comes as a rematch between Trump and US President Joe Biden is becoming increasingly inevitable. Haley has promised to stay in the race through at least the batch of primaries on March 5, known as Super Tuesday, but was unable to dent Trump’s momentum in her home state despite holding far more campaign events.

‘Unified Republican Party’

The Associated Press declared Trump the winner as polls closed statewide at 7 p.m. The AP based its race call on an analysis of AP VoteCast, a comprehensive survey of Republican South Carolina primary voters. The survey confirms the findings of pre-Election Day polls showing Trump far outpacing Haley statewide. “I have never seen the Republican Party so unified as it is right now,” Trump declared, taking the stage for his victory speech mere moments after polls closed. He added, “You can celebrate for about 15 minutes, but then we have to get back to work.”

South Carolina’s first-in-the-South primary has historically been a reliable bellwether for Republicans. In all but one primary since 1980, the Republican winner in South Carolina has gone on to be the party’s nominee. The lone exception was Newt Gingrich in 2012. Haley said in recent days that she would head straight to Michigan for its Tuesday primary, the last major contest before Super Tuesday. She faces questions about where she might be able to win a contest or be competitive.

‘Make America Great Again’

Trump and his allies argue Biden has made the US weaker and point to the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He has also attacked Biden over high inflation earlier in the president’s term and his handling of record-high migrant crossings at the US-Mexico border. Trump has questioned whether the 81-year-old Biden is too old to serve a second term.  Meanwhile, Biden has stepped up his recent fundraising trips around the country and increasingly attacked Trump directly.

He’s called Trump and his “Make America Great Again” movement dire threats to the nation’s founding principles, and the president’s reelection campaign has lately focused most of its attention on Trump suggesting he’d use the first day of a second presidency as a dictator and that he’d tell Russia to attack NATO allies who fail to keep up with defense spending obligations mandated by the alliance.

Haley also criticised Trump over his NATO comments. But South Carolina voters line up with Trump on having lukewarm feelings about NATO and continued US support for Ukraine, according to AP VoteCast data from Saturday’s primary. About 6 in 10 oppose continuing aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Only about a third described America’s participation in NATO as “very good,” with more saying it’s only “somewhat good.”

‘Drop Out’

Haley has raised copious amounts of campaign money and is scheduled to begin a cross-country campaign swing on Sunday in Michigan ahead of Super Tuesday on March 5, when many delegate-rich states hold primaries. However, it’s unclear how she can stop Trump from clinching enough delegates to become the party’s presumptive nominee for the third time.

Senator Lindsey Graham complimented Haley while speaking to reporters at Trump’s election night party in Columbia but suggested it was time for her to drop out.  “I think the sooner she does, the better for her, the better for the party,” Graham said. Trump’s political strength has endured despite facing 91 criminal charges related to his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden, the discovery of classified documents in his Florida residence and allegations that he secretly arranged payoffs to a porn actress.

(With agency inputs)