In a remarkable turn of events on Super Tuesday, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump emerged victorious in statewide nominating contests, setting the stage for a historic rematch in November’s general election, despite facing low approval ratings.
Trump secured Republican votes in twelve states, including delegate-rich California and Texas, solidifying his path to the nomination and leaving former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley with no viable route forward. Haley managed to secure a win in Vermont, according to projections from Edison Research.
Trump’s commanding performance across 15 states, where over one-third of Republican delegates were at stake, virtually guaranteed his third consecutive presidential nomination, despite grappling with a series of criminal charges.
Both Trump and Biden immediately turned their attention to each other as the results unfolded.
In a victory speech at his Mar-A-Lago estate in Florida, Trump targeted Biden’s immigration policies, labelling him the “worst president” in history. Trump asserted, “Our cities are being overrun with migrant crime.”
In response, Biden, in a statement, portrayed Trump as a threat to American democracy, emphasizing the clear choice facing the American people.
“Tonight’s results leave the American people with a clear choice: Are we going to keep moving forward, or will we allow Donald Trump to drag us backward into the chaos, division, and darkness that defined his term in office?” said Biden.
While Biden was expected to dominate the Democratic contests, a protest vote in Minnesota, organized by activists critical of his strong support for Israel, garnered unexpectedly strong results. The “uncommitted” vote in Minnesota reached nearly 20%, surpassing the 13% seen in a similar effort in Michigan last week. Despite this, Biden secured victories in Minnesota and 14 other states.
In a surprising turn of events, entrepreneur Jason Palmer won the U.S. territory of American Samoa’s caucus with 51 votes to Biden’s 40, according to the American Samoa Democratic Party.
As the prospect of a repeat U.S. presidential matchup between Trump, 77, and Biden, 81, looms—the first since 1956—public sentiment indicates reluctance. Both candidates face low approval ratings among voters, with immigration and the economy ranking as top concerns for Republican voters, according to Edison exit polls in California, North Carolina, and Virginia.
A majority of Republican voters in these states expressed support for deporting illegal immigrants, aligning with Trump’s promise to execute the largest deportation effort in U.S. history if re-elected.
In California’s Huntington Beach, 65-year-old homemaker Katherine Meredith, who voted for Trump, voiced her concerns about the border, stating, “The border is a complete catastrophe.”
The outcome of Tuesday’s results places increased pressure on Nikki Haley to reconsider her candidacy, as she did not make a public appearance on Tuesday, and her campaign has not scheduled any future events. In a statement, her spokesperson acknowledged the existence of a significant block of Republican primary voters expressing deep concerns about Donald Trump.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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