In the Republican presidential primary race, former President Donald Trump is projected to secure a victory in South Carolina according to various estimates. This triumph marks an additional significant milestone for Trump as he continues his quest for the nomination, leaving his last major rival, Nikki Haley, to reassess her campaign strategy.
Trump has thus far dominated the GOP nominating contests, winning convincingly in Iowa and New Hampshire, followed by triumphs in Nevada where Haley was absent from the ballot, and the US Virgin Islands. However, his success in South Carolina, a state that twice elected Haley as its governor, is particularly noteworthy.
“This was a little sooner than we anticipated, and even bigger win than we anticipated,” Trump expressed to an ecstatic crowd at his election night watch party in Columbia following the announcement of his victory. Surrounded onstage by prominent South Carolina political figures including Governor Henry McMaster and Senator Tim Scott, Trump proclaimed, “I have never seen the Republican Party so unified as it is right now.”
Despite Lindsey Graham’s boos at Trump’s event, Scott received thunderous applause from the crowd. The senator, who dropped out of the primary and endorsed Trump, has since emerged as one of Trump’s favorite surrogates and a potential running mate. “South Carolina is Trump country,” Scott declared to the elated crowd.
As a result of this development, the burden now lies with Haley, who reaffirmed her commitment to stay in the race earlier in the week by stating, “I’m not going anywhere.” The next stage of the GOP nominating process takes place in Michigan on Tuesday where Republicans will participate in a primary. Following this, Super Tuesday on March 5 provides Trump with an opportunity to move even closer towards securing his third consecutive party nomination.
However, Haley’s campaign, already facing challenges, may come under renewed pressure from Republicans urging her to withdraw and let Trump focus solely on his potential rematch against President Joe Biden, who clinched the Democratic primary in South Carolina with an impressive 96.3% of the votes.
Despite these pressures, Haley’s team remains resolute. They plan to allocate resources towards Super Tuesday states and will continue their efforts regardless of the outcome. Campaign manager Betsy Ankney shared with reporters before the polls closed, “We know that Trump is a formidable force. We know that he is powerful and has been the de facto leader of the party for the past eight years. Breaking that hold will take a great deal.” She concluded, “We are sprinting through the tape here. We have over 12 events planned in those Super Tuesday states and we’re going to keep fighting.”
