ifti
[ad_1]
- Anthony Zucher
- North American correspondent based in New Hampshire
WATCH: Trump slams ‘impostor’ Haley in victory speech
Donald Trump won the New Hampshire primary, defeating former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, his last challenger for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
His victory means the nomination race is almost over, even if Ms. Haley isn’t ready to end her campaign — a fact that clearly annoyed the former president on a night of celebration.
“She’s giving … a speech like she won,” he said of his opponent, who pledged to stay on the campaign trail earlier in the evening. “She didn’t win. She lost.”
A rematch with likely Democratic nominee President Joe Biden in the November election now looks more likely.
Although Trump’s victory in New Hampshire fell short of the 20-point margin predicted by recent polls, it should be enough to maintain the current direction of the campaign.
He won his first election in Iowa in a landslide. Several upcoming states on the Republican primary calendar are more favorable to him than New Hampshire, suggesting his path to the nomination could quickly turn into a stampede.
With every vote passed, the truth becomes clearer and clearer. Polls for months have shown that the Republican Party remains the party of Donald Trump.
Through the legal and political drama, the loyalty of his supporters was unwavering. His conservative populist style is consistent with his party’s voters, as is his focus on issues such as immigration, crime and energy.
That may not stop Ms. Haley in the short term, but the reality is that New Hampshire represents her best chance of blocking Mr. Trump’s steady bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
She spent tens of millions of dollars here and had the support of the state’s popular Republican governor, but New Hampshire’s independent voters and large numbers of college graduates were not enough to deliver victory.
Ms. Haley is now looking forward to next month’s primary in her home state of South Carolina. To achieve that goal, however, she needs campaign donations to keep flowing.
More information about the US election
Even if the final result is better than expected, there is no guarantee as she becomes more likely to win the nomination and Trump has a large lead in the polls in many remaining states.
If she does make it, she probably won’t get a particularly warm home. Trump has the support of most of South Carolina’s establishment Republicans, and he leads the polls by a wide margin. The former president was quick to point that out during his speech Tuesday night.
“We’re going to South Carolina and I think we’re going to win easily,” he said in front of a cheering crowd in Nashua.
WATCH: Haley congratulates Trump, but says campaign isn’t over yet
For Haley, a crushing defeat in her old battleground would be a shameful way to end a relatively successful campaign. She may ultimately choose to avoid that fate, but she has a month to try and turn it around.
Even if Ms. Haley ultimately throws in the towel in the coming days, the results in New Hampshire should cause some concern for the Trump team.
A Fox News voter analysis found that 32% of those who participated in the Republican primary would not vote for him in the November general election if he wins the nomination. Only 49% said they would consider themselves supporters of Maga – the former president’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan.
A CBS exit poll also paints a picture of Trump’s support base but also shows its limitations. Among self-identified “very conservative voters,” the former president won 88 percent. He won 66% of support among primary voters without college degrees and evangelical Christian voters by similar margins.
He won only 23% of moderates and 39% of college graduates — groups he must appeal to if he wants to defeat President Biden.
A 2020 presidential rematch appears more likely after Tuesday night’s results, even as polls show many Americans don’t welcome the prospect.
[ad_2]
Source link
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings