“An incredible night and day”, summarized Donald Trump, who practically guaranteed his presence in the dispute with Democrat Joe Biden in November’s presidential elections, after dominating ‘Super Tuesday’.
The former Republican president was declared the winner in 14 of the 15 states in dispute. He triumphed in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia, according to projections in the American press.
Only Vermont deprived Trump of an absolute victory and opted for Nikki Haley, the last rival in the businessman’s path for the nomination of the Republican Party.
‘Super Tuesday’ did not have any suspense. Neither the Republican, aged 77, nor the Democrat, aged 81, are threatened in their party’s primaries, the process of nominating candidates from both parties for elections.
“MAGA!”
The big winner was Trump, who did not hide his enthusiasm.
“An incredible, incredible night and day. It’s been an incredible time in our country’s history,” he told supporters gathered at his mansion in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
“Thank you – MAGA!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, using the acronym for Trump’s motto “Make America Great Again.”
Trump’s profile is atypical. The House of Representatives, when it had a Democratic majority, accused Trump of having encouraged an insurrection. He was acquitted by the Senate, but faces 91 charges of serious crimes.
This does not prevent Trump from having wide appeal with working-class, white and rural voters.
Since January 15, and despite his legal problems, the former president has won almost all of the party’s primaries. Democrats take note and turn on the alert.
Trump “is hell-bent on destroying our democracy, taking away fundamental freedoms like women’s ability to make their own decisions about medical care and passing another round of billions of dollars in tax cuts for the wealthy, and he will do or say anything to get to power,” Biden said in a statement released by his campaign team.
In another statement, the president asked supporters for funds. “Trump is crushing the ‘Super Tuesday’ Republican primaries across the country. It will be us against the entire Trumpist right in this election […] I need your help,” said the Democrat.
For several weeks now, Biden has considered that Haley lost the battle. The 52-year-old former United States ambassador to the UN represents the moderate wing of the Republican Party and promises to restore “normality” in the face of “Trump’s chaos”, but has accumulated defeats. It remains to be seen whether she will continue in the race.
She did not comment on the matter. In a statement, her campaign team highlighted that there is still “a large bloc of Republican primary voters who express deep concerns about Donald Trump.”
At Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mansion, no one expressed doubts. Under imposing chandeliers, the guests showed great optimism.
“I don’t believe the other Republican candidate has a chance. She should resign,” said April Culbreath, leader of a local Republican chapter.
In theory, the primaries could continue until July. But Trump’s team predicts a victory “on March 19th” at the latest, after the votes in Georgia and Florida.
The billionaire wants to focus as quickly as possible on a rematch with Joe Biden, who is seeking re-election, before focusing on his legal problems. His first criminal trial begins March 25 in New York.
On the Democratic side, President Biden is calm, without any major rivals in the primaries. The candidacies of two Democrats, Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota and self-help book author Marianne Williamson, never sparked enthusiasm, despite repeated criticism from voters over the president’s age or his support for Israel.
As expected, Biden won the Super Tuesday primaries in every state except one territory: American Samoa, a Pacific archipelago, where he was defeated by a virtually unknown businessman.
Jason Palmer received 51 votes, against 40 for Biden in the archipelago. On Thursday, President Biden will have another big night: he will defend his vision for the United States during a speech to Congress, the traditional “State of the Union”.
Edition: AFP
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
