AceBreakingNews – Former US president Donald Trump has won the Republican presidential primary in the US state of South Carolina.

Ace Press News From Cutting Room Floor: Published: Feb.25: 2024: ABC Politics News: TELEGRAM Ace Daily News Link https://t.me/+PuI36tlDsM7GpOJe

The result means Mr Trump has reinforced his position as the likely Republican candidate in November’s presidential election, after defeating his lone remaining challenger for the presidential nomination, Nikki Haley, in her home state.

Going into Saturday’s primary election, Mr Trump held a lead in polls of at least 25 percentage points. His actual margin of victory is yet to be determined. 

Mr Trump was leading 59.6 per cent to 39.7 per cent with 50 per cent of the expected vote tallied, according to Edison Research.

“I have never seen the Republican Party so unified as it is right now,” Mr Trump declared, taking the stage for his victory speech mere moments after polls closed.

“You can celebrate for about 15 minutes, but then we have to get back to work.”

In her concession speech, Ms Haley said she would continue to run for president.

“I don’t believe Donald Trump can defeat Joe Biden,” she said.

“I’m not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of Donald Trump or Joe Biden.”

The South Carolina vote was the party’s fifth nominating contest in a campaign Mr Trump has dominated from the outset, despite facing dozens of criminal charges.

He swept the first four contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and the US Virgin Islands, knocking out the lion’s share of the initially large Republican field along the way.

Ms Haley, a former South Carolina governor who was Mr Trump’s former representative to the UN, said she would head straight to Michigan for its Tuesday primary.

It’s the last major contest before Super Tuesday on March 5, by which time another 21 states and territories will have voted.

She faces questions about where she might be able to win a contest or be competitive.

Immigration was the number one issue for voters in the South Carolina primary, according to an exit poll conducted by Edison Research.

South Carolina’s first-in-the-South primary has historically been a reliable bellwether for Republicans. In all but one primary since 1980, the Republican winner in South Carolina has gone on to be the party’s nominee. The lone exception was Newt Gingrich in 2012.

Trump vs Biden rematch increasingly likely

A 2020 general rematch between Mr Trump and US President Joe Biden is becoming increasingly likely, as it’s unclear how Ms Haley can stop Mr Trump from clinching enough delegates to become the party’s presumptive nominee for the third time.

Republican senator Lindsey Graham complimented Ms Haley while speaking to reporters at Mr Trump’s election night party in Columbia but suggested it was time for her to drop out.

“I think the sooner she does, the better for her, the better for the party,” Mr Graham said.

Mr Trump’s political strength has endured despite facing 91 criminal charges related to his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Mr Biden, the discovery of classified documents in his Florida residence and allegations that he secretly arranged pay-offs to a porn star.

His first criminal trial is set to begin on March 25 in New York, where he faces 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in the closing weeks of his 2016 presidential campaign.

Mr Biden won South Carolina’s Democratic primary earlier this month and faces only one remaining challenger, Dean Phillips. The Minnesota Democratic congressman has continued to campaign in Michigan ahead of the Democratic primary there, despite having little chance of actually beating Mr Biden.

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