Donald Trump secured a triumph over Nikki Haley in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, marking his second consecutive victory in the pursuit of his party’s presidential nomination. The Associated Press declared Trump the winner with 17% of the votes counted, reinforcing his lead that was evident in most pre-primary polls.
Haley, the former South Carolina governor, faced an uphill battle but garnered substantial support from independent voters, prompting her to express determination to stay in the race at least until the Super Tuesday primaries on March 5.
Haley’s Opinions:
Addressing her supporters on Tuesday night, Haley emphasized the ongoing nature of the race, stating, “New Hampshire is first in the nation. It is not the last in the nation. This race is far from over. There are dozens of states left to go, and the next one is my sweet state of South Carolina.”
In response, during his victory speech, Trump criticized Haley for prematurely celebrating despite her loss in the Granite State. He accused her of taking an unwarranted “victory lap” and asserted, “This is not your typical victory speech, but let’s not have somebody take a victory when she had a very bad night.”
President Biden was also declared the winner of the Democratic primary in the state by the Associated Press.
Celebration Converted Into?
Trump’s New Hampshire victory celebration took a confrontational turn as he took the stage to mock Haley. He dismissed her performance, labeling her an imposter and suggesting that she “had to win” but failed to do so.
Accompanying Trump on stage was former primary rival Vivek Ramaswamy, whom Trump invited to join in criticizing Haley. Trump, with a touch of sarcasm, noted Ramaswamy’s apparent anger, saying, “The only person more angry than — let’s say me, but I don’t get too angry, I get even.”
Trump didn’t shy away from making personal remarks about Haley’s appearance, remarking on her choice of attire for the evening. He quipped about her fancy dress, adding a touch of disdain with the suggestion that it “probably wasn’t so fancy.”
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who recently endorsed Trump, also joined him on stage. Trump brought up the fact that Haley had appointed Scott to his Senate seat in 2013, creating a lighthearted moment as he suggested, “Did you ever think that she actually appointed you… you must really hate her,” to which Scott responded with laughter, clarifying that he did not harbor any ill feelings toward Haley but expressed his strong support for Trump.
