Topline
Former President Donald Trump stuck to his typically pessimistic stump speech when declaring victory on Super Tuesday, blasting President Joe Biden for his policies ranging from immigration to inflation—without mentioning his sole remaining primary competitor, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who won just one state to Trump’s 12 on Tuesday.
Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, greets supporters after speaking … [+] at an election-night watch party at Mar-a-Lago on March 5, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Key Facts
The U.S. is “in some ways . . . a third-world country,” Trump said in a speech late Tuesday from Mar-A-Lago, referencing border security—a key issue in the 2024 campaign—and later adding “frankly our country is dying.”
Trump said the country has “taken a great beating” during Biden’s tenure, claiming the Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine wars and record-high inflation would not have happened if he were still in office, while calling Biden “the worst president in the history of our country.”
Trump did not make a single reference to Haley during the speech.
Trump said “there’s never been anything so conclusive” as the results on Super Tuesday, when he won at least 12 of the 15 GOP primary contests as of 11 p.m. ET.
Promising “unity” within the Republican Party, Trump called the Nov. 5 general election, when he’s poised for a rematch with Biden, the “single most important day in the history of our country.”
Chief Critic
“Are we going to keep moving forward, or will we allow Donald Trump to drag us backwards into the chaos, division and darkness that defined his term in office?” Biden said in a statement responding to the Super Tuesday results.
Key Background
Trump is on track to secure the GOP nomination as soon as next week after a near-Super Tuesday sweep, winning California, Texas and at least 10 other states. Haley eked out a surprise win in Vermont, however, beating Trump by less than 3,000 votes as of 11 p.m., when 84% of the vote had been counted. Haley, who said she would stay in the race until Super Tuesday, but did not have any campaign events scheduled beyond then, was not expected to speak Tuesday, and it’s unclear what her plans are for her campaign moving forward.
MORE FROM FORBESHaley Wins Vermont Republican Primary In Upset-Foiling Trump’s Super Tuesday SweepBy Sara Dorn
MORE FROM FORBESSuper Tuesday Results: Trump Wins California, Texas And 10 Other Republican Primaries-Taking Massive Lead Over HaleyBy Sara Dorn
