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Carolina — Donald Trump easily defeated Nikki Haley in South Carolina’s Republican contest on Saturday, Edison Research projected, extending his winning streak as he marches toward a third consecutive presidential nomination and a rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden.
The former president had been widely favored to win the Southern state, with one opinion poll after another showing him holding a sizable lead despite his litany of criminal charges and Haley’s status as a native of South Carolina who won two terms as governor.
“I have never seen the Republican party so unified as it is right now,” Trump told supporters in Columbia, the state capital, just minutes after the polls closed at 7 p.m. (0000 GMT). He did not mention Haley once in about 30 minutes of remarks.
The lopsided outcome will bolster calls from Trump’s allies that Haley, Trump’s last remaining challenger, should drop out of the race.
