In a significant stride towards securing a third consecutive Republican presidential nomination, former President Donald Trump emerged victorious in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday. His victory came against his last remaining challenger, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. Despite the setback, Haley pledged to stay in the Republican race, shifting her focus to the February 24 primary in her home state of South Carolina.
However, Haley faces a daunting historical precedent: no non-incumbent has ever won the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary without subsequently securing their party’s nomination. Trump, visibly irked by Haley’s decision to continue her campaign, criticized her performance. “She had to win,” the former president said. “She failed badly.”
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has begun preparations for a potential general election rematch with Trump, deploying senior White House staffers to work on his campaign and holding an event in Virginia where he criticized Trump on abortion rights.
Five Key Takeaways from the New Hampshire Primaries:
1. Trump Wants Haley Out — Now
Trump expressed his annoyance at Haley’s decision to stay in the race during his victory speech in New Hampshire. He derided Haley as an “imposter” who had “claimed victory” despite performing “very poorly.” His comments underscored his frustration with Haley’s criticism of his age, verbal gaffes, and the Republican losses during his tenure as the party’s leader.
2. Haley Says GOP Race is ‘Far from Over’
Despite Trump’s eagerness to conclude the Republican primary and Biden’s campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez’s assertion that Trump “has all but locked up” his party’s nomination, Haley insisted she won’t leave the race. “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,” Haley told supporters in her election night speech Tuesday in New Hampshire.
3. Haley’s Argument: Trump is a Loser
Haley used her Tuesday night speech to make her most pointed argument yet about electability — blaming Trump for Republicans’ disappointing performances in the 2018 and 2022 midterms and the 2020 presidential election. “With Donald Trump, Republicans have lost almost every competitive election,” she said.
4. Warning Signs for Trump
Despite Trump’s win being a significant step towards securing the GOP nomination, there were warning signs for his general election hopes within CNN’s exit polls of New Hampshire Republican primary voters. Haley won the 29% of the electorate that identified themselves as moderate by a 3-to-1 margin.
5. Biden’s General Election Bid Takes Shape
Biden won the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday night, but he had been at risk for blowback in New Hampshire after he led the Democratic push to demote the state in the party’s nominating process — elevating South Carolina’s primary to become the first contest with delegates on the line.