Donald Trump WINS South Carolina 2024 Republican Primary: Nikki Haley handed a whopping defeat in her home state

Donald Trump took another step toward a general election rematch with Joe Biden by decimating Nikki Haley in her home state during the Republican primaries in South Carolina.

The results were announced just seconds after the polls closed on an embarrassing night for Haley, who has vowed to stay in the race even as her path to the nomination quickly closes.

Trump declared his victory at his election party at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds in Columbia, saying, “This was a little earlier than we expected.”

Trump’s victory builds on the rising momentum he built after victories in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.

Haley’s loss Saturday marks the first time in more than 50 years that a Republican candidate has lost the primary in his home state. The previous one was Richard Nixon, who lost the California primaries to Ronald Reagan, who was also from California.

But Haley said during a “state of the race” address on Tuesday that she was “nowhere near” ending her bid, despite her disappointing performance in the primaries so far and dismal polling showing her with her in national and state elections. trailed Trump by large margins.

The former South Carolina governor said she plans to remain in the 2024 Republican primary until Super Tuesday on March 5, when 15 states and as many as 874 delegates will be up for grabs on that one day.

Trump acknowledged that the crowd at his Election Night party in Columbia was “very opinionated” — even toward some of the former president’s guests of honor.

When Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina was mentioned, the crowd booed, despite Trump telling them he is a good person.

Some South Carolina voters told DailyMail.com on Saturday that Haley has ruined any future career aspirations by entering the 2024 race and insists her career in politics, especially in the Palmetto State, is “done.”

Trump earned 51 percent in Iowa against Haley, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and a few other long shots. Then last month in New Hampshire, he earned 54.3 percent in a contest between him and Haley, after the rest of the primary field dropped out — with most throwing their support behind Trump.

The former president then walked away with 99.1 percent of the vote in the Nevada caucus earlier this month, which Haley did not participate in after choosing to run in the state’s primary instead — where she shockingly wise lost due to the voting option ‘none of these candidates’. .’

Nikki Haley’s loss Saturday marks the first time in more than 50 years that a Republican presidential candidate has lost his home state in the primaries

Trump held a rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Friday, where about 6,000 supporters came to hear his final call before the primaries.

He also spoke at the Black Conservative Federation Gala in Columbia later on Friday before heading to National Harbor, Maryland on Saturday morning for CPAC remarks just outside Washington, DC.

Trump’s base in South Carolina was excited to show up for him on Saturday.

“I voted for Trump because I believe in him,” North Charleston resident Mary Ann Cole, 77, told DailyMail.com.

“I just think they’ve got his hands tied and they’re doing all this nonsense – excuse me – they’ve thrown so much trash at him and he’s still there, he hasn’t run away,” Cole added to.

The retiree said she would have been open to voting for Haley, but she didn’t like how Trump was treated.

Married retired couple Bob, 88, and Kathy Kean, 76, of Charleston both said outside the Hunley Park Elementary School polling place in North Charleston on Saturday that they were going to vote for Trump.

“I’m voting for Trump because I believe the strongest candidate can get our country out of this gigantic mess we’re in,” Kathy said.

Her husband said, “I almost voted for Haley because Trump abandoned her husband. He’s been deployed. That made me angry, because he didn’t have to do that.’

Bob added, “We love Trump.”

“All in all, he’s not politically correct,” Kathy said, finishing her husband’s sentence.

However, Kathy said she wasn’t concerned about Trump’s brusque style when voters go to the polls in the fall.

“I think people are too disgusted, they’ve had it, it’s not a question,” she said. “We love (Haley), we love all those candidates, they’re all great – when they started I thought, ‘oh my God, why don’t we have a whole panel of presidents.’