Former President Trump is projected to handily win the South Carolina GOP primary, dealing a crushing blow to rival Nikki Haley, according to an exit poll conducted by Decision Desk HQ.
The Palmetto State becomes the third state in a row in which Trump has trounced Haley on the ballot. The two did not compete together in Nevada, which held a dueling primary and caucus.
Trump’s win was largely expected, given that an average of South Carolina surveys compiled by Decision Desk HQ and The Hill found Trump leading Haley 64 percent to 33 percent.
Haley is Trump’s last remaining major GOP challenger. Trump’s win will fuel further questions about her viability, especially given that she had previously served as governor of South Carolina.
Yet Haley has signaled that she’s in it for the long haul, saying earlier this week, “South Carolina will vote on Saturday, but on Sunday I will still be running for president.”
Many Republicans have largely started to shift their attention to the general election as it increasingly looks like a rematch between Trump and President Biden.
All eyes are now turning to Super Tuesday on March 5, where Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and American Samoa will be casting their ballots in the presidential contest.
The Trump campaign projected in a memo this week that the former president would notch the necessary number of GOP delegates to secure the nomination by March 19.