Donald Trump celebrated an “incredible night” as he surged towards securing the Republican presidential nomination following decisive victories in the Super Tuesday primaries.
This solidifies the path for a highly anticipated rematch with President Joe Biden in November.
On this pivotal day in the 2024 race, fifteen states and a US territory conducted nominating contests, with both contenders eyeing a return to the White House for a second term.
Notable among Trump’s triumphs were victories in Texas and California, where he prevailed over Nikki Haley. His widespread appeal was evident as he garnered support across various demographics, clinching victories in conservative southern states as well as key battlegrounds like Virginia, previously seen as a stronghold for his challenger.
While Haley managed to secure a narrow win in the northeastern state of Vermont, Trump expressed gratitude to his supporters, characterizing the day as “remarkable” and filled with triumph.
“They call it ‘Super Tuesday’ for a reason,” Trump told a cheering crowd at his Mar-a-Lago beach club in Florida.
“This is a big one. They tell me, the pundits and otherwise, that there has never been one like this, never been anything so conclusive.”
The suspense of this year’s Super Tuesday was notably diminished as both Biden and Trump had effectively clinched their respective party nominations well before the ballots were cast.
Despite being a former UN ambassador, Haley’s bid to impede Trump’s nomination path faltered early on, marked by a distant third-place finish in the opening Iowa contest back in January.
Trump, facing unprecedented challenges including two impeachments, a significant defeat in the 2020 election, and multiple pending felony charges, remains a unique figure in US presidential election history. However, his strong appeal among working-class, rural, and white voters has propelled him towards the nomination in what has been described as one of the most one-sided primary seasons in modern politics.
In contrast, Haley, who garners support predominantly from affluent suburban voters and university graduates, was projected to secure only a handful of delegates required for the nomination.
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“I expect Nikki Haley to finish and drop out. There is no pathway after tonight for her to get the nomination,” Kenny Nail, a grassroots Republican activist, told AFP at Trump’s Florida watch party.
Trump’s victories included Maine, one of three states that had sought to keep him off the ballot over his push to overturn the 2020 election and the assault on the US Capitol.
On Monday, the Supreme Court dismissed efforts to expel Trump from the race, granting him clearance to participate in all states’ primaries.
The states in contention on Tuesday collectively offered 70 percent of the delegates needed for Republicans to nominate their candidate at the upcoming summer convention.
While Trump couldn’t secure victory mathematically, his campaign anticipates his formal nomination by March 19 at the latest.
Ahead of Super Tuesday, Haley, who had set modest expectations, observed the results from Charleston, South Carolina, refraining from speaking and planning no events for Wednesday.
Speculation is rife among primary observers that the 52-year-old may soon conclude her campaign, though she asserts her potential to outmatch Trump against Biden in November.
“There remains a large block of Republican primary voters who are expressing deep concerns about Donald Trump,” her spokesperson remarked late Tuesday.
On the Democratic side, Biden faced minimal opposition from outsider challengers in the primaries, making his renomination a mere formality.
Scheduled to deliver the annual State of the Union address to Congress on Thursday, the 81-year-old secured resounding victories across the board, except for a setback in American Samoa, cautioning against Trump’s threats to US democracy.
In response, Biden’s campaign released a statement asserting Trump’s willingness to do anything to maintain power.
Stephanie Perini-Hegarty, a 55-year-old voter from Quincy, Massachusetts, voiced her support for Biden, citing the need for a leader untainted by corruption and dedicated to the people’s interests.
APF
