1 year ago
80
CHARLESTON, South Carolina -- Donald Trump won South Carolina's Republican superior connected Saturday, beating erstwhile U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley successful her location authorities and further consolidating his way to a 3rd consecutive GOP nomination.
Trump has present swept each contention that counted for Republican delegates, with wins already successful Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The erstwhile president's latest triumph volition apt summation unit connected Haley, who was Trump's erstwhile typical to the U.N. and South Carolina politician from 2011 to 2017, to permission the race.
A 2020 wide rematch betwixt Trump and President Joe Biden is becoming progressively inevitable. Haley has vowed to enactment successful the contention done astatine slightest the batch of primaries connected March 5, known arsenic Super Tuesday, but was incapable to dent Trump's momentum successful her location authorities contempt holding acold much run events and arguing that the indictments against Trump volition hamstring him against Biden.
The Associated Press declared Trump the victor arsenic polls closed statewide astatine 7 p.m. The AP based its contention telephone connected an investigation of AP VoteCast, a broad survey of Republican South Carolina superior voters. The survey confirms the findings of pre-Election Day polls showing Trump acold outpacing Haley statewide.
South Carolina's first-in-the-South superior has historically been a reliable bellwether for Republicans. In each but 1 superior since 1980, the Republican victor successful South Carolina has gone connected to beryllium the party's nominee. The lone objection was Newt Gingrich successful 2012.
Haley said successful caller days that she would caput consecutive to Michigan for its Tuesday primary, the past large contention earlier Super Tuesday. She faces questions astir wherever she mightiness beryllium capable to triumph a contention oregon beryllium competitive.
Trump and Biden are already behaving similar they expect to look disconnected successful November.
Trump and his allies reason Biden has made the U.S. weaker and constituent to the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and Russia's determination to motorboat a full-scale penetration of Ukraine. Trump has besides repeatedly attacked Biden implicit precocious ostentation earlier successful the president's word and his handling of record-high migrant crossings astatine the U.S.-Mexico border.
Trump has questioned - often successful harshly idiosyncratic presumption - whether the 81-year-old Biden is excessively aged to service a 2nd term. Biden's squad successful crook has highlighted the 77-year-old Trump's ain flubs connected the run trail.
Biden has stepped up his caller fundraising trips astir the state and progressively attacked Trump directly. He's called Trump and his "Make America Great Again" question dire threats to the nation's founding principles, and the president's reelection run has lately focused astir of its attraction connected Trump suggesting he'd usage the archetypal time of a 2nd presidency arsenic a dictator and that he'd archer Russia to onslaught NATO allies who neglect to support up with defence spending obligations mandated by the alliance.
Haley besides criticized Trump connected his NATO comments and besides for questioning wherefore her hubby wasn't connected the run way with her - adjacent arsenic erstwhile archetypal woman Melania Trump hasn't appeared with him. Maj. Michael Haley is deployed successful the Horn of Africa connected a ngo with the South Carolina Army National Guard.
But South Carolina's Republican voters enactment up with Trump connected having lukewarm feelings astir NATO and continued U.S. enactment for Ukraine, according to AP VoteCast information from Saturday's primary. About 6 successful 10 reason continuing assistance to Ukraine successful its combat against Russia. Only astir a 3rd described America's information successful NATO arsenic "very good," with much saying it's lone "somewhat good."
Haley has raised copious amounts of run wealth and is scheduled to statesman a cross-country run plaything connected Sunday successful Michigan up of Super Tuesday connected March 5, erstwhile galore delegate-rich states clasp primaries.
But it's unclear however she tin halt Trump from clinching capable delegates to go the party's presumptive nominee for the 3rd time.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., complimented Haley portion speaking to reporters astatine Trump's predetermination nighttime enactment successful Columbia but suggested it was clip for her to driblet out.
"I deliberation the sooner she does, the amended for her, the amended for the party," Graham said.
Trump's governmental spot has endured contempt facing 91 transgression charges related to his efforts to overturn his 2020 predetermination nonaccomplishment to Biden, the find of classified documents successful his Florida residence and allegations that helium secretly arranged payoffs to a porn actress.
The erstwhile president's archetypal transgression proceedings is acceptable to statesman connected March 25 successful New York, wherever helium faces 34 counts of falsifying concern records related to hush wealth paid to porn prima Stormy Daniels successful the closing weeks of his 2016 statesmanlike campaign.
Biden won South Carolina's Democratic superior earlier this period and faces lone 1 remaining challenger, Dean Phillips. The Minnesota Democratic congressman has continued to run successful Michigan up of the Democratic superior there, contempt having small accidental of really beating Biden.
Though Biden is expected to cruise to his party's renomination, helium faces disapproval from immoderate Democrats for providing subject backing to Israel successful its warfare against Hamas successful the Gaza Strip. Some successful his enactment enactment a ceasefire arsenic the decease toll successful Israel's warfare has reached 30,000 people, two-thirds of them women and children. The warfare could wounded the president's wide predetermination chances successful plaything states similar Michigan, which is location to a ample Arab American population.
___
Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and James Pollard successful Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
