US: Donald Trump wins New Hampshire Republican primary
Donald Trump is one step closer to securing the Republican presidential nomination for the 2024 United States Presidential Polls after winning the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday. This follows his victory in Iowa last week. Meanwhile, Nikki Haley, Trump's former United Nations (UN) ambassador, experienced a setback but insisted the race is "far from over."
Why does this story matter?
Last week, Trump won the Iowa caucuses, strengthening his status as the front-runner in the Republican primary. Trump is navigating a heap of legal troubles while running his campaign. Despite the challenges - civil and criminal trials - Trump's victory suggests he has rallied support. Trump's triumph highlights his enhanced organization and positions him well for future contests.
We won New Hampshire 3 times now: Trump
In his victory speech on Tuesday night, Trump said: "We won New Hampshire three times now, three. We win it every time, we win the primary, we win the generals..." Trump has won three Republican primaries in New Hampshire. However, he has still not won a general election there, having lost to Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020.
Haley's campaign fails to slow Trump's momentum
Despite high voter turnout in New Hampshire and questions about Trump's "mental fitness", Haley's campaign couldn't slow down the former president. Keith Nahigian, a political veteran, believes it's now a two-person race between Trump and Biden. Haley must secure a win in her home state of South Carolina to stay in the race, as continuing without a victory or close loss will be tough.
Haley vows to continue campaign
Haley, meanwhile, has pledged to continue her campaign. "This race is far from over... There are dozens of states left to go...," she said. "The worst kept secret in politics is how badly the Democrats want to run against Donald Trump. They know Trump is the only Republican in the country who Joe Biden can defeat," Haley added.
Our fight is not over, posts Haley on X
New Hampshire Democrats defy national party order
On the same day, New Hampshire Democrats voted for their candidate, ignoring a national party directive to hold the primary later. Biden emerged as the "write-in" winner, even though it wasn't an official Democratic Party primary due to disagreements between national and state party officials. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spent the day campaigning for abortion rights in Virginia.
Biden's campaign reacts to Trump's New Hampshire win
Following the New Hampshire results, the Biden campaign declared that Trump had "all but locked up" the Republican nomination. They stated, "The election denying, anti-freedom MAGA movement has completed its takeover of the Republican Party." While campaigning with Harris in Virginia, Biden told a passionate crowd that Trump was "hell-bent" on imposing further restrictions on abortion rights.
