United States: On Tuesday, Former President Donald Trump, on his way to victory in New Hampshire’s Republican presidential contest, going one step closer to his rematch in November with Democratic Presidential Joe Biden as his solo rival remaining for the nomination, Nikki Haley, vowed to soldier on.
At a post-election party in Concord, the Former UN ambassador told supporters, “This race is far from over.” She is challenging Trump to debate her.
“I’m a fighter. And I’m scrappy. And now we’re the last one standing next to Donald Trump.”
Trump mocks Haley
At his own party in Nashua, Trump, 77, opened his speech by mocking Haley, 52, calling her an “imposter” and saying: “She’s doing, like, a speech like she won. She didn’t win. She lost … She had a very bad night.”
Trump, 77, at his own party in Nashua, opened his speech by mocking Haley, calling her an “imposter,” and saying, “She’s doing, like, a speech like she won. She didn’t win. She lost … She had a very bad night.” He also posted a series of angry posts on Truth Social app, denouncing her as “DELUSIONAL.”
The next tough battle is set for February 24 in South Carolina, where Haley was born and served two years as governor.
Trump has received endorsements from the majority of the state’s Republican figures, and opinion surveys show him with a significant advantage.
According to Edison Research, 86% of the expected votes tallied; in New Hampshire, Trump held a comfortable 54.4% to 43.5% lead.
Haley had hoped that the northeastern state’s substantial contingent of independent voters would propel her to an upset victory, perhaps loosening Trump’s iron grip on the Republican Party.
Instead, Trump became the first Republican to win competitive votes in both Iowa and New Hampshire since 1976, when the two states established themselves as the first nomination contests.
Some Republicans call for Haley to drop out so that the party can coalesce behind Trump. On Tuesday, her campaign vowed in a memo earlier to push forward until “Super Tuesday” on March 5, when Republicans in 15 states and one territory vote.
Face-off
Tuesday’s vote results between Trump and Haley were the first one-on-one match after Trump’s most formidable challenger, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, dropped out on Sunday and endorsed Trump.
Trump won on Tuesday’s polls, but exit polls showed a hint of his potential vulnerabilities in a general election campaign.
Trump after being charged with 91 criminal charges, including his attempt to change results of the 2020 elections or in keeping classified documents after leaving office when he was no longer a president. He claimed to be a victim of political persecution.
According to the exit polling by Edison, about 42% of voters who participated said he would not be fit to serve if convicted in court.
Biden’s reign might be in danger as three-quarters of Republican voters said that the economy was either poor or below average, an area where
Biden has struggled to highlight his administration’s accomplishments.
According to exit surveys, Republicans voted in the primary at a somewhat lower rate than in the state’s 2016 Republican campaign.
51% of voters identified as Republican, compared to 55% in the 2016 primary. Six percent identified as Democrats, compared to three percent in 2016. The percentage of independents remained relatively stable at 43%.
Biden, in an effort to support his party to move their first primary elections to the more diverse state of South Carolina, declined to appear on the ballot in New Hampshire Democratic elections.
Edison reported that supporters from New Hampshire were still able to vote for Biden by writing his name on the ballot, offering a barometer to his political strength as 56% of the vote counted, in which Biden had 67.0%, far ahead of Philips at 19.6%.
Biden Aims at Trump
On Tuesday, a Democratic president, whose rematch is expected with Trump, took aim at Republicans over their effort to curb abortion rights in a Virginia speech.
In a statement later, Biden said: “It is now clear that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee. And my message to the country is the stakes could not be higher. Our democracy. Our personal freedoms — from the right to choose to the right to vote. Our economy — which has seen the strongest recovery in the world since COVID.”
Haley increased her criticisms of Trump as the election approached, citing his admiration for strongmen like North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
Haley has also criticized Trump’s age and mental competence, which she has frequently levied on Biden.
Haley warned in her Tuesday speech that if Trump is nominated, he would lose to Biden again.
“The worst-kept secret in politics is how badly the Democrats want to run against Donald Trump,” she said. “They know Trump is the only Republican in the country who Joe Biden can defeat.”