This year's Super Tuesday primaries will put Donald Trump atop the Republican nomination and kick off the longest electoral battle in recent American history.
Voters in 15 states are expected to give Trump a clear victory over his latest Republican rival, Nikki Haley, blocking his bid for the White House..
The result will cement the November rematch with President Joe Biden, a race between two unpopular candidates that polls show the public does not want.. This is what you need to see:
Haley, heading out?
Haley (who is running against Trump) kept her promise to stay in the race until Super Tuesday. Barring a surprise, Haley will face increasing pressure to drop out of the race, having lost nearly every contest so far by significant margins.
A blitz of fundraising across the country has done little to stop big-money donors from going elsewhere, calling into question the viability of their long-term strategy: Stay in case Trump – who has been impeached four times – implodes.
The nomination is approaching
More than 800 Republican delegates – about 36% of the total – are up for grabs on Tuesdayand almost all of them will be awarded to the state winner, while the runner-up will not get any delegates.
It's good news for Trump: A substantial victory in each of the 15 nominating contests would put him on the verge of winning 1,215 delegates. what he needs to win the nomination. His campaign plans to secure the nomination in mid-March.
The former president's team has already begun to consolidate its power. She recently backed an overhaul of the Republican National Committee's leadership structure — which included appointing her daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to a top position — days before RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced she would step aside this year. month.
Ending the contested primary season would allow Trump to raise more money jointly with the party, a significant benefit given recent troubling signs of his campaign's financial state and Trump's mounting legal bills for his 91 felony charges.
Not committed to Biden
Democrats will closely monitor votes aimed at expressing disapproval with Biden's handling of the war between Israel and Hamas, after a “non-committed” ballot initiative in Michigan garnered more than 100,000 votes.
A Muslim-American-led group known as “Abandon Biden” plans to mobilize voters in similar ways in Minnesota and North Carolina.asking people to vote “uncommitted” and “no preference” as a way of registering their criticism.
Still, Biden faces no serious challenges in states voting in Tuesday's Democratic primaries. Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips' attempt to derail Biden's march to the nomination has had little traction.
Democrats will be keeping a close eye on turnout in North Carolina, where Barack Obama narrowly won in 2008. Biden's allies hope the decision to move South Carolina up on the primary calendar – a recognition of the considerable influence of Black voters – will energize key voters in other Southern states, such as Georgia and North Carolina.
Trump has been trying to rally support among black voters, who have shown discontent with the president.
Duel of agendas, part two
As the contours of the general election take shape, markets and world leaders are focusing on the political implications of a second Trump or Biden term.
Trump has laid out plans to impose widespread tariffs on imports, as well as a 60% tax on Chinese goods. He has promised to carry out the largest deportation campaign in US history and has raised concerns among NATO members about his commitment to the alliance.
Biden has demanded – so far unsuccessfully – that Congress provide new funding for Ukraine two years after the Russian invasion. Trump, for his part, opposes channeling aid to the country and wants to end the war if he is elected.
Biden will offer clues about his second-term program during his State of the Union address on Thursday.
And now that?
Although Trump won't have the delegates to officially end the primaries after Super Tuesday, his pivot in the general election is likely in full swing.
The former president is already spending most of his time criticizing Biden and organizing mourning events. Before: Biden and Trump schedule a duel of visits to the US-Mexico border in Texas.
For his part, Biden is expected to intensify his campaign travel. The president has been deploying Vice President Kamala Harris, first lady Jill Biden and others in an attempt to energize target voters, including young people and women. The campaign has also been strengthened in undecided states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia.
