Donald Trump won the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, the 23rd of January, virtually knocking his last rival, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, out of the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, reports the BBC.
Trump’s victory means that the fight for the nomination is over, even if Haley has not yet given up and will continue the campaign that apparently annoyed the former president on Tuesday night by making harsh remarks and criticising his rival for a speech she gave: “She makes a speech as if she won. She didn’t win. She lost.”
TRUMP: “She’s doing a speech like she won. She didn’t win. She LOST.” pic.twitter.com/Noz3YW0WZE
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 24, 2024
Although Trump did not reach the predicted 20-point lead, his victory in New Hampshire strengthened his lead in the race for the Republican nomination.
With his triumph in Iowa, the next states are even more favourable to him, which shows the potential of the nomination.
This may not deter Haley in the short term, but the reality is that New Hampshire was her best chance to break Trump’s march towards the Republican presidential nomination.
If Nikki Haley continues her campaign, she will face challenges as Donald Trump is widely supported by South Carolina’s Republican elite and maintains a significant lead in the polls. Trump underlined this lead in his speech on Tuesday night, confidently predicting his victory in South Carolina.
Even if Nikki Haley drops out, the Trump team has reason to be concerned, as 32% of New Hampshire Republican primary voters would not support Trump in the general election, according to a Fox News voter analysis, with only 49% considering themselves Trump supporters.
CBS’ exit poll highlights Trump’s strong support among very conservative, non-college educated and evangelical Christian voters, with 88%, 66% and similar margins respectively.
However, his appeal is lower among moderates (23%) and university graduates (39%). It is precisely these groups that he needs to secure a victory against the potential Democratic candidate Joe Biden in the November general election.
And after Tuesday night’s results, a repeat of the 2020 presidential election seems more likely, even though polls show many Americans do not want it, according to the BBC.
Also read: In New Hampshire Nikki Haley will go toe-to-toe with Donald Trump
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