Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley made history on Sunday by winning the first Republican Party presidential primary in the nation’s capital against former President Donald Trump. Haley’s victory in Washington, D.C. marks a significant moment in U.S. politics, as she becomes the first woman to win a Republican primary in U.S. history.
With nearly all the votes counted, Haley secured an impressive 63% of the vote, while Trump trailed behind with 33%. Despite Trump’s dominance in previous primary contests, Haley’s solid performance in fundraising numbers and her determination to stay in the race through Super Tuesday has kept her competitive.
In a statement following her win, Haley’s campaign team announced, “This makes Nikki Haley the first woman to win a Republican primary in U.S. history.” With her victory, Haley has gained 43 total delegates, while Trump has 244.
The Trump Campaign issued a response to Haley’s win, stating, “Tonight’s results in Washington, D.C. reaffirm the object of President Trump’s campaign – he will drain the swamp and put America first.” However, the statement also took a swipe at Haley, stating that she had been “soundly rejected” in other parts of the country and was now “crowned Queen of the Swamp” by lobbyists and D.C. insiders.
Haley has faced an uphill battle in her pursuit of the Republican Party nomination, with Trump maintaining a steady lead in polls across the country. However, she remains determined to stay in the race and challenge Trump, and will likely continue to do so after the Super Tuesday states vote this week.
Trump will have a chance to solidify his lead in the nomination race after North Dakota holds its caucus on Monday. The Super Tuesday states, which include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia, could bring Trump closer to securing the nomination.
In response to her win, Trump took to social media to comment on the race, stating, “I purposely stayed away from the D.C. Vote because it is the 'Swamp,' with very few delegates and no upside.” He also took the opportunity to lash out at Haley, calling her “Birdbrain” and claiming she had “spent all of her time, money, and effort” in Washington, D.C.
Trump continued to boast about his own accomplishments in recent primary contests, including his wins in Missouri, Idaho, and Michigan. He expressed confidence that the upcoming Super Tuesday states would bring even bigger numbers for his campaign, and took a jab at Haley’s performance in the race, calling her “a loser” and noting her “record low performance in virtually every State.”
In his final statement, Trump took pleasure in watching Haley “disavow her pledge to the RNC” and reminded his followers that she had previously stated she would “never run against President Trump” whom she called “a great President.” He concluded by saying, “Well, she ran, she lied, and she lost big!”