Aiexpress – Donald Trump emerged victorious in the Missouri and Michigan primaries on Saturday, further solidifying his position as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination. He also secured a win in Idaho’s Republican presidential caucuses, bringing him one step closer to clinching the nomination. Nikki Haley, his main opponent, was unable to surpass Trump’s popularity and ultimately fell short in these contests.
Idaho was declared for the former president by the Associated Press at 5 p.m. local time on Saturday. Earlier in the day, at 12:45 p.m., the AP had called Missouri for Trump, even though the state’s official delegate allocation process takes a month. According to polling data from Decision Desk HQ and The Hill, Trump secured 88 percent of the vote, while Haley received 12 percent.
Michigan Republicans unified behind Trump at their convention on Saturday, despite protests and boycotts against the party’s leadership. This outcome was expected, considering that Trump had already won the February 27 primary by a wide margin.
Haley, despite not winning any Republican primaries, including her home state of South Carolina, has made a commitment to remain in the race until Super Tuesday on March 5. Following Missouri’s primary, Trump currently holds 155 presidential delegates, while Haley has secured 24.
Haley chose not to provide an immediate comment on the results. Instead, she took to Twitter and shared a video from a rally in North Carolina, a state that will be holding its primary on Tuesday.
Missouri had originally planned to hold its primary on March 12. However, due to an accidental cancellation by lawmakers and a subsequent failure to reinstate it within the deadline, the primary was effectively scrapped. Instead, voters were directed to participate in person at caucuses and express their allegiance to the Missouri Republican Party. It is important to note that being a registered Republican was not a requirement for participation in these caucuses.
“I’m not sure what my role will be here, other than standing in a corner for Trump,” shared Columbia resident Carmen Christal with the AP. However, she expressed her anticipation for the experience.
In Michigan, the outcome was as anticipated: Trump secured a complete sweep, winning 100 percent of the vote in four congressional districts during Tuesday’s primary. Furthermore, he garnered over 90 percent of the vote in nearly all of the remaining nine districts. These impressive numbers translated into 16 delegates out of the state’s total of 55, while the remaining delegates were allocated during Saturday’s convention.
The convention, however, had its fair share of excitement as discussions arose about the selection of the party chairperson. Advocates for Kristina Karamo, the previous chair who was removed from her position in January, had initially considered hosting their own separate convention. Yet, due to a court order, their plans ultimately fell through at the eleventh hour.
