DONALD Trump has emerged victorious in the South Carolina Republican primary — an intimate blow for Nikki Haley, who is a native of the state and served two terms as governor.
Haley looked past South Carolina days before the final tally was announced on Saturday, saying she intends to continue her campaign against Trump until at least Super Tuesday on March 5.
Haley’s defeat in her home state is rare for a presidential candidate.
Most candidates either win their home states or drop out before their home states vote.
In 2016, Florida Senator Marco Rubio lost the state’s primary but dropped out the same night.
The candidates who continue to campaign after their home state loss are often viewed as a long shot to earn their party’s nomination.
On Saturday, Trump became the projected winner of the state by 7:01 pm — just one minute after polls closed.
Early estimates gave the former president 38 delegates out of a total of 50 statewide.
He received 58 percent of the votes counted within half an hour of polls closing.
Nikki Haley came in second with about 41.4 percent of the total votes cast.
Ron DeSantis is expected to take third place.
Over 800,000 ballots are still being tallied.
The Associated Press called the election so early because of pre-election polling results and Election Day polling data that indicated a resounding win for Trump.
“Never seen the Republican Party so unified as it is now,” Trump said in a speech after his victory was announced.
He also took the opportunity to take a dig at President Joe Biden and other foes.
“Joe, you’re fired, get out Joe, you’re fired… Nine months is a long time, I wish we could do it quicker,” he said.
Trump took a moment to call Republican Senator Tim Scott a “dynamo” and said he did not have enough drive to succeed in his own home state.
He did not mention his main competitor — Haley — by name in the speech.
Senator Lindsey Graham, also of South Carolina, celebrated Trump’s victory soon after the announcement was made.
“America, the nightmare you are facing is just about over,” he said.
Trump gave a fiery speech to supporters at the CPAC conference earlier on Saturday.
He claimed during the talk that “a vote for Trump is your ticket back to freedom… We’re living in hell right now.”
He also said that if Joe Biden were to win the upcoming elections, the US would “lose World War three.”
Despite Trump’s seemingly clear path to the Republican nomination, Hayley has insisted she will continue campaigning until “the last person votes.”
During a rally in Greenville, South Carolina, on Tuesday, the former United Nations ambassador underscored Trump and President Joe Biden‘s age, saying over half of Americans do not want to see a 2016 rematch.
“We have two hugely flawed candidates, in Biden and Trump; Americans know it; they’ve been saying it for years,” Haley said.
“Trump and Biden are two old men who are only getting older. Nearly 60 percent of Americans say Trump and Biden are both too old to be president because they are.
“We’ve all seen them fumble their words and get confused about world leaders. That’s not who we want in the Oval Office.”
More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @TheUSSun.
