Donald Trump had a great night as he got closer to winning the Republican presidential nomination in the Super Tuesday primaries, setting up a likely rematch with President Joe Biden in November.
Fifteen states and a US territory had elections on the biggest day in the 2024 presidential race, with both candidates aiming for a second term in the White House.
Trump won in Texas and California, and also gained support in conservative southern states and more liberal battlegrounds like Virginia.
Trump didn't win every state, as Nikki Haley narrowly won in Vermont, but he still called the night and day amazing.
Trump told his supporters at his Mar-a-Lago beach club in Florida that Super Tuesday was significant, with pundits saying it had never been so conclusive.
Trump highlighted the significance of Super Tuesday, saying it was unprecedented and conclusive according to pundits.
This year's Super Tuesday wasn't very suspenseful, as both Biden and Trump had essentially secured their parties' nominations before the voting even began on Tuesday.
Haley, a former UN ambassador, hasn't been able to create any major obstacles for Trump since coming in third in the Iowa contest in January.
Trump, who has been impeached twice, lost by seven million votes in 2020, and is facing 91 felony charges in four trials, has a unique profile compared to previous US presidential candidates.
Despite his unconventional background, Trump's appeal to working-class, rural, and white voters has propelled him towards the nomination in a remarkably one-sided primary season.
Haley, who is popular among affluent suburban voters and college graduates, was expected to only gather a few delegates needed to secure the nomination.
– Biden v. Trump, again? –
A grassroots Republican activist expressed doubt that Nikki Haley would continue her campaign after the primaries, seeing no pathway for her to secure the nomination.
Trump's victories included Maine, one of three states that tried to prevent him from being on the ballot due to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the US Capitol assault.
The Supreme Court rejected the attempt to exclude Trump on Monday, allowing him to participate in every state election.
The states in play on Tuesday offered 70% of the delegates Republicans need to secure the nomination at the summer convention.
Trump could not mathematically end the contest, but he anticipated being chosen by March 19 at the latest, according to his campaign.
Haley, who had set low expectations for Super Tuesday, went to Charleston, South Carolina to see the results but was not planning to speak or have events on Wednesday.
Some analysts expect the 52-year-old Haley to end her campaign soon, although she argues that she is more likely than Trump to beat Biden in November and may continue running.
Her spokesperson said late Tuesday that there is still a large group of Republican primary voters who are showing serious concerns about Donald Trump.
In the Democratic primaries, Biden was on the ballot, but he didn't face much of a challenge from two outside competitors, so his re-nomination was basically guaranteed.
He is set to give the yearly State of the Union speech to Congress on Thursday, which is a chance to present his campaign platform.
The 81-year-old quickly won in most places, except for a loss in the small Pacific Ocean territory of American Samoa, and cautioned that Trump was "determined to destroy" US democracy.
Biden said in a statement from his campaign that Trump will do anything to gain power.
Stephanie Perini-Hegarty cast her vote for Biden in Quincy, Massachusetts.
The 55-year-old said to AFP, "I believe we need a leader who is not part of any corruption, and who will protect the best interests of the people."
AFP
