Former President Donald Trump won several landslide victories in the American Republican primaries on Super Tuesday. He clearly had the upper hand over his remaining opponent Nikki Haley in twelve states, including Texas, California and Virginia. With a narrow victory in Vermont, the former UN ambassador was able to prevent a complete election disaster. Among Democrats, incumbent Joe Biden initially won huge victories in 15 of the 16 voting states.
What was especially painful for Haley was the clear defeat in Virginia, the only larger state in which she had expected opportunities. Trump won there by 63 to 35 percent. His victories in Massachusetts, Colorado and Minnesota also hovered around a two-thirds majority. In California this was 74 percent and in Texas 77 percent. There were also values above 70 percent for Trump in North Carolina, Maine, Arkansas and Tennessee. In Oklahoma and Alabama it was even more than 80 percent.
However, the political home of far-left Senator Bernie Sanders saved Haley from complete destruction. In the sparsely populated state on the east coast, she defeated Trump with 50 to 46 percent of the vote. Before Super Tuesday, the former US ambassador to the UN had scored only a symbolic victory over Trump in the Capital District of Washington DC; in the eight remaining primaries, the president, who was voted out of office in 2020, had the better ending.
Biden: Trump wants to destroy democracy
Shortly before Haley’s victory was announced, Trump appeared before his supporters and spoke of a “fantastic evening.” In his victory speech, he did not address his fellow candidate, but spoke out against the incumbent Biden in a familiar manner. He criticized the Democrat as “the worst president in the history of the country.” Biden, in turn, warned of the consequences of a possible second Trump presidency for the country. Trump is determined to destroy American democracy and take away fundamental freedoms, including women’s ability to make decisions about their health, Biden said.
Biden won more than 90 percent of the votes in Iowa, Maine, Alabama, Tennessee and California. It landed just below in Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Arkansas, Vermont, Massachusetts and Utah. With 69 percent, Biden achieved the worst result in Minnesota, where 19 percent of participants deliberately made no decision in the run-up to the elections. In the Republican stronghold of Oklahoma, he received only 73 percent. In the external territory of American Samoa, the incumbent party even suffered an embarrassing defeat. With only 91 votes cast, entrepreneur Jason Palmer won with 51 votes to 40.
The only remaining decision on Wednesday evening was in Alaska, where the last polls were set to close at 6am CET. Final results from California likely won’t be available for several days.
The primaries formally determine the delegates who will choose the presidential candidate at the Democratic and Republican nominating conventions in the summer. In the Republican race, Trump already had 893 votes after his first Super Tuesday victories, while Haley had only 66 votes. At least 1215 votes are required for the nomination. Biden had collected 1,289 votes and was still far from an absolute majority (1968).
Observers don’t see a chance for Haley
Unlike previous years, this year’s Super Tuesday is virtually devoid of any political tension. While Biden is the incumbent among Democrats, observers see no chance for Haley among Republicans. It was widely expected that she would throw in the towel after Super Tuesday. If she does not do this, it may indicate that she is running as an independent candidate. Haley recently made it clear that, following a change in Republican Party leadership, she no longer feels bound by her original pledge to support the Republican presidential nominee in the November elections. Haley had recently stepped up her attacks on Trump and, like Biden, sees herself as a defender of American democracy against the sitting president.
The importance of the Trump trials
However, post-election surveys showed how important the legal proceedings against Trump are for the Republican ex-president’s re-election chances. As data provider Edison Research announced on Tuesday, 40 percent of participants in the Republican primaries in Virginia believed that Trump would no longer be fit to serve as president if he were found guilty. In North Carolina this was 32 percent and in California 23 percent.
Virginia holds open primaries in which any voter can vote for any party, according to Ballotpedia. Therefore, Democrats could also be included in the sample. The vote in North Carolina, by contrast, is tied along party lines.
Trump is facing a slew of lawsuits. Some assume that a final judgment will not be made until after the elections in early November. In general, a close result is expected in the vote. If the leading Republican candidate wins, he could drop some cases as president and, experts say, even pardon himself. In all cases, Trump has rejected the allegations and referred to politically motivated proceedings.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
