Ahead this year’s elections, former President of the United States, Donald Trump on Saturday secured another decisive victory in the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential primaries, defeating former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley in her home state of South Carolina.
Speaking to supporters shortly after the victory at an election night party in the state capital of Columbia, the ex-president turned his attention to November’s general election and promised that if he is re-elected, the US would be “respected like never before”.
“There’s never been a spirit like this,” Trump said. “I have never seen the Republican Party so unified as it is right now.”
Africa Today News, New York reports that the former president has maintained a strong grip over the Republican caucus despite facing a slew of civil and criminal cases against him, sweeping every state contest so far.
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Trump’s victory in South Carolina also makes it increasingly likely that he will face a rematch against his Democratic rival, President Joe Biden, in November.
Surprisingly Trump did not even mention Haley’s name during his victory speech.
Haley, who served as South Carolina’s governor from 2011 to 2017, has pledged to continue her campaign at least through the Super Tuesday contests on March 5. That’s the day 15 US states and a territory hold their primaries.
“I said earlier this week that, no matter what happens in South Carolina, I would continue to run for president,” Haley said in a speech to supporters in the city of Charleston after her loss. “I’m a woman of my word.”
Her commitment to continuing drew chants of “Nikki! Nikki!” from the crowd.
“I’m not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden,” Haley added.
“South Carolina has spoken; we’re the fourth state to do so. In the next 10 days, another 21 states and territories will speak. They have the right to a real choice, not a Soviet-style election with only one candidate. And I have a duty to give them that choice.”
Haley said she plans to head to Michigan on Sunday, just days ahead of that state’s Republican primary on February 27. Then, her campaign will turn its attention to Super Tuesday states, which include Minnesota, Vermont and Colorado.
But the former UN ambassador has no real path to winning the Republican Party nomination – and the party has largely hitched its wagon to Trump.
Even in her home state, Haley struggled to rally high-profile political endorsements. Only one Republican representative from South Carolina, Ralph Norman, backed her over Trump
Trump, meanwhile, celebrated his South Carolina victory with a row of his backers, including both of South Carolina’s senators – Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham – as well as the state’s governor.
He had arrived in South Carolina shortly after delivering a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland, the largest annual gathering for conservatives in the country.
Many of his remarks there were focused on Biden. In his 90-minute speech, Trump accused the president of overseeing the country’s decline.
He added that, if he beats Biden in November, it will represent a “judgement day” for the US and his “ultimate and absolute revenge”.
For his part, Biden has warned that the former Republican president likewise poses a threat to the country.