Former President Donald Trump took a significant step toward securing his third consecutive Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday (23), winning the New Hampshire primaries in a showdown against the last remaining opponent in the Republican party, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
Haley vowed to stay in the Republican race, stating that she will now focus on the primaries on February 24 in her home state, South Carolina.
But she will be fighting against history: in modern presidential campaign history, all candidates who have won the two Republican primaries, Iowa and New Hampshire, have ended up securing the nomination.
Instead of celebrating the victory, upon receiving the election results, Trump appeared irritated that Haley had not dropped out of the Republican race.
He mocked her, calling her a “fraud” who “claimed victory” despite performing “very poorly.” (Haley, in fact, congratulated Trump on his victory at the beginning of her comments.)
His remarks made it clear that Haley’s attacks on Trump’s age, his verbal gaffes, and the Republican losses during his time as party leader frustrated the former president.
Where could Haley actually score a victory against Trump? This is an excellent question, as in the very state where she was governor, South Carolina, the former president leads by a significant margin in the polls.
Experts believe Haley will face immense pressure to suspend her campaign in the coming days.
While Haley tries to prove she remains a viable candidate, President Joe Biden has already begun preparations for a rematch against Trump – dispatching senior White House officials to work on his campaign.
Source: CNN