On Wednesday, Donald Trump and Joe Biden engaged in a heated exchange as they braced for a likely showdown in the November general election. Trump’s victory in New Hampshire’s Republican presidential primary bolstered his chances of securing the White House nomination, even though his sole remaining rival, Nikki Haley, remained resolute in her determination to stay in the race.
Former President Trump’s consecutive wins in the nomination contests appeared to set him on an almost inevitable path towards a general election battle against Democratic President Biden. Following Trump’s triumph over Haley in New Hampshire on Tuesday night, both candidates directed their criticisms squarely at each other.
Biden’s reelection campaign issued a statement asserting that “it is now clear that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee.” They reiterated concerns that the former president posed a threat to democracy.
Meanwhile, Trump turned to his social media platform, Truth Social, to reiterate allegations that Biden and his Justice Department were embroiled in political persecution, particularly in light of the numerous criminal indictments against Trump last year.
However, Nikki Haley, who formerly served as Trump’s U.N. ambassador and now stands as his sole challenger for the Republican nomination, remained undeterred. She pledged to take her campaign to South Carolina, where the primary is scheduled for February 24, and beyond.
During a speech to her supporters in South Carolina on Wednesday night, Haley argued that U.S. voters deserved an alternative to a Biden-Trump rematch and declared, “We’re going to give it to them.” She also reiterated her challenge to Trump for a debate, boldly proclaiming, “Bring it on, Donald, show me what you’ve got!” to an enthusiastic crowd.
While the Republican nominating race has several months left to unfold, Trump is determined to swiftly eliminate Haley from contention and secure his position as the presumptive nominee.
In South Carolina, Trump, aged 77, will aim to embarrass Haley, who is 52, by defeating her in her home state. Haley, however, hopes for an upset victory, counting on the support of voters who elected her as governor twice in the past.
Haley has three rallies scheduled in South Carolina in the upcoming days, and her campaign has launched two new advertisements as part of a substantial $4 million advertising campaign in the state. One of these ads criticizes Biden, aged 81, as “too old,” labels Trump as a source of “too much chaos,” and characterizes a repeat of the 2020 election as a “rematch no one wants.” The other highlights her accomplishments as governor, including creating “thousands of jobs, implementing lower taxes, and enacting tough immigration laws” during her tenure from 2011 to 2017.
Despite the ongoing competition, the majority of Republicans have rallied behind Trump, increasing the pressure on Haley to consider withdrawing from the race. Trump has garnered endorsements from most of South Carolina’s prominent Republican figures, and opinion polls indicate a substantial lead in the state.
