Nikki Haley Secures First Victory Over Trump In Washington DC Primary (image-X/NikkiHaley)
On Sunday, Nikki Haley emerged victorious over former President Donald Trump in the Washington D.C. primary, marking her first win in the 2024 campaign despite facing defeat in her home state of South Carolina.
Notably, Haley’s win makes her the first woman in the history of the US to clinch a Republican primary.
Haley secured a decisive victory, securing 62.9 percent of votes, while Trump trailed behind with 33.2 percent. According to the BBC’s US partner CBS, Haley will receive all 19 Republican delegates at stake in Washington, adding to her delegate count nationwide, which now stands at 43. However, she still lags far behind Trump, who holds a substantial lead with 247 delegates.
President Joe Biden had won 92 percent of votes in Washington in the 2020 election against Trump. The city does not have a history of a Republican presidential candidate winning with a majority vote as it is predominantly a Democratic jurisdiction.
Haley’s national spokesperson, Olivia Perez-Cubas, emphasised the rejection of Trump by Republicans and said, “It’s not surprising that Republicans closest to Washington dysfunction are rejecting Donald Trump and all his chaos.”
In response to Haley’s victory, Trump issued a sarcastic statement, congratulating Haley on being crowned “Queen of the Swamp.” The statement read, “Tonight’s results in Washington DC, affirm the object of President Trump’s campaign – he will drain the swamp and put America first.”
This is not the first time Republicans in the capital have spurned Trump; during the 2016 nominating contest, he received less than 14 percent of the vote and no delegates.
Despite her win in Washington, Haley faces steep odds in her bid to secure the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent President Joe Biden in November. Trump had won the first eight nominating contests decisively before facing defeat in the nation”s capital. As Super Tuesday approaches, the former president is expected to secure victory in almost all nominating contests, as per opinion polls. With 874 Republican delegates at stake across 15 states and one US territory, Super Tuesday is set to be a crucial day for South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to challenge Trump for the Republican presidential nomination.
