Super Tuesday results: Trump wins Virginia Republican presidential primary



This story will be updated as more states publish the results of their primaries.

Former President Donald Trump has won the Virginia Republican presidential primary, according to the Associated Press.

Republican presidential nominating contests in more than a dozen states on Super Tuesday will help determine whether Trump, the clear frontrunner, becomes the 2024 GOP presidential nominee.

The 15 states voting in the Republican nominating contest on Super Tuesday include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia.

Prior to Super Tuesday, Trump had been dominating the GOP presidential nominating contest while former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley had been performing dismally, only winning in the District of Columbia's Republican presidential primary.

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Trump defeats Haley in Michigan Republican presidential primary



Former President Donald Trump's winning streak continued as he won the Michigan Republican presidential primary on Tuesday.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has failed to defeat Trump in any of the Republican presidential nominating contests so far, remained in the race even after losing her home state to Trump last week. She has said that she has "no interest in a third-party candidacy."

As Trump continues to rack up wins, he appears to be poised to easily clinch the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

"Another MASSIVE win! Congratulations President Trump on tonight's victory in Michigan. Another step closer to MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. (P.S. Nikki, it's time to DROP OUT!)," GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas tweeted.

"Congratulations to President Trump for a decisive win in the Michigan primary. I'm hoping that sooner rather than later the Republican presidential primary will end so we can unite with President Trump as our nominee. He is the candidate who will defeat Joe Biden in the Fall and will get America back on track quickly. It is clear to me that the Republican Party faithful are behind President Trump in all corners of the country. It's time to move on to the general election," Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina stated in a post on X.

Ryan Binkley, a little-known candidate who failed to gain traction during the GOP nominating contest, announced on Tuesday that he was suspending his campaign and backing Trump. "Today, I am suspending my campaign for the Presidency of the United States of America and offering my endorsement and unwavering support for President Trump," Binkley noted in social media posts.

On the other side of the political aisle, President Joe Biden easily won in the Michigan Democratic presidential primary.

Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, who, according to the results so far, performed worse than the "uncommitted" option, tweeted. "If you resent me for the audacity to challenge Joe Biden, at least you'll appreciate how relatively strong I'm making him look among primary voters!"

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Nikki Haley rejects idea of third-party presidential bid



Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who was recently soundly defeated by former President Donald Trump in her home state's GOP presidential primary, is still is not dropping out and says she has zero interest in a third-party White House bid.

"I am a Republican. I am not running as any other party or independent," Haley told Grady Trimble of the Fox Business Network. When asked whether she would ever run third-party, Haley rejected the idea, saying that she has "no interest in a third-party candidacy."

The Associated Press has previously reported that Haley swatted away the idea of running in connection with the "No Labels" group.

"I have not had one conversation with No Labels. They have sent signals to me that they want to talk. I have told them I am not interested in talking," she said, according to the AP. "I'm running as a Republican. That's my focus is to stay in this as a Republican nominee and to win as a Republican."

While Haley, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during a portion of former President Donald Trump's White House tenure, is persisting in her presidential bid, Trump appears to be poised to easily win the 2024 GOP presidential nod.

Haley has so far failed to beat Trump in any of the GOP presidential nominating contests, a trend which is likely to continue going forward.

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Sen. Tim Scott teases Trump endorsement



Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who launched but later dropped his own White House bid last year, is apparently planning to endorse former President Donald Trump, even as former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who appointed Scott to the U.S. Senate more than a decade ago, challenges Trump for the GOP presidential nomination.

While standing near Trump's plane, Scott said in a video that he was "so excited for the announcement tonight."

Scott reportedly plans to endorse Trump.

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Trump recently trounced the rest of the GOP field when he decisively won Iowa's Republican presidential caucuses. After a poor performance in Iowa, Vivek Ramaswamy swiftly dropped out and endorsed Trump. Haley placed third in the Hawkeye State, not far behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who came in a distant second place behind Trump.

Scott's expected endorsement will come just days before the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary. Ahead of that contest, polls show Trump leading, with Haley in second place. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who endorsed Haley last year, reportedly said, "If anybody cared about Tim Scott, he'd still be running for president."

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Scott has been serving as a senator for over a decade. He took office in early 2013 after Haley announced his appointment in late 2012. Scott went on to win a 2014 special election before winning election to full Senate terms in 2016 and 2022. Prior to serving in the Senate, he had previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The South Carolina Republican presidential primary will take place in February.

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During CNN debate, Haley and DeSantis field question about what they admire about each other



Less than a week before the first contest in the GOP presidential nominating process, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley faced off in a CNN debate in Des Moines, Iowa, while former President Donald Trump, who had qualified for the event, opted to do a Fox News town hall.

But while Trump has skipped every GOP presidential primary debate so far — including the four Republican National Committee-affiliated debates held in 2023, as well as Wednesday night's CNN debate which is not tied to the RNC — the former commander in chief has remained the clear frontrunner, according to polls.

During the CNN debate, DeSantis said that Haley "may even be more liberal than" California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who DeSantis debated last year.

Haley repeatedly encouraged people to visit desantislies.com. "Ron's lying because Ron's losing," she claimed.

But when CNN's Jake Tapper asked each of the candidates what they admired about each other, DeSantis said he appreciated Haley speaking out strongly on some key matters during her tenure as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and indicated that serving as South Carolina governor is a "great achievement." Haley responded to the question by saying that she believes DeSantis is a "good governor."

The Iowa Republican presidential caucus takes place next week, and the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary will take place later this month. DeSantis has been endorsed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, while Haley has been endorsed by New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu.

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Chris Christie drops out of GOP presidential primary



Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dropped out of the GOP presidential primary, announcing at an event on Wednesday that he is suspending his presidential campaign because he does not see a path to secure the nomination.

The move comes less than a week before the Iowa Republican presidential caucus, the first contest in the GOP presidential nominating process. The New Hampshire Republican presidential primary will take place later this month.

While Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has thrown his support behind former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's candidacy.

Christie was caught on a hot mic saying, in an apparent reference to Haley, that she will "get smoked" and is "not up to this."

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He has been a staunch critic of former President Donald Trump, who remains the clear frontrunner in the GOP presidential primary, polls indicate.

"I hear Chris Christie is dropping out of the race today — I might even get to like him again!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Anyway, he was just caught on a hot mic making a very truthful statement: 'She's gonna get smoked…You and I both know it, she's not up to this.'"

DeSantis declared in a tweet that he agreed that Haley will "get smoked."

"Chris Christie has been a friend for many years. I commend him on a hard-fought campaign. Voters have a clear choice in this election: the chaos and drama of the past or a new generation of conservative leadership. I will fight to earn every vote, so together we can build a strong and proud America," Haley tweeted.

DeSantis and Haley will face off in a CNN debate in Iowa on Wednesday night, while Trump, who also qualified for the debate, will do a Fox News town hall.

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US Supreme Court to take up case on whether Trump can be barred from Colorado primary ballot



The U.S. Supreme Court will take up the matter of whether former President Donald Trump can be blocked from appearing on the 2024 primary ballot in Colorado.

Oral arguments are scheduled for February 8.

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Trump has been trouncing the rest of the GOP presidential primary field in polls, but last month, the Colorado Supreme Court issued a ruling declaring that the secretary of state should not include the former president on the primary ballot. Three justices dissented.

The move to bar Trump from the ballot is based on the notion that he supposedly engaged in insurrection on January 6, 2021, and because of that, is supposedly disqualified from seeking the presidency under Section Three of the 14th Amendment.

GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah has asserted that Section Three of the 14th Amendment does not apply to the president.

The Colorado Supreme Court's decision stated, "[W]e conclude that because President Trump is disqualified from holding the office of President under Section Three, it would be a wrongful act under the Election Code for the Secretary to list President Trump as a candidate on the presidential primary ballot. Therefore, the Secretary may not list President Trump’s name on the 2024 presidential primary ballot, nor may she count any write-in votes cast for him."

"But we stay our ruling until January 4, 2024 (the day before the Secretary's deadline to certify the content of the presidential primary ballot). If review is sought in the Supreme Court before the stay expires, it shall remain in place, and the Secretary will continue to be required to include President Trump's name on the 2024 presidential primary ballot until the receipt of any order or mandate from the Supreme Court," the ruling read.

Three of the justices currently sitting on the U.S. Supreme Court — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett — were nominated by Trump during his White House tenure.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has moved to block Trump from the primary ballot in that state.

In her ruling, she said that there was "sufficient evidence to demonstrate the falsity of Mr. Trump's declaration that he meets the qualifications of the office of the presidency. Therefore, as required by 21-A M.R.S. § 336(3), I find that the primary petition of Mr. Trump is invalid." She also noted, "I will suspend the effect of my decision until the Superior Court rules on any appeal, or the time to appeal under 21-A, Section 337 has expired."

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Nikki Haley doesn't mention slavery while fielding question about cause of Civil War



Republican presidential primary candidate Nikki Haley did not mention slavery while responding to someone who asked her about the cause of the U.S. Civil War.

Haley responded to the question by saying that she thought the cause "was basically how government was gonna run, the freedoms and what people could and couldn't do."

Haley said that "government was intended to secure" people's rights and liberties and should ensure that people have freedom rather than interfering in people's lives.

The questioner described it as "astonishing" that she would answer the question without bringing up slavery.

"What do you want me to say about slavery?" Haley asked.

VIRAL MOMENT: Nikki Haley Asked Point Blank By Voter: 'What Was The Cause Of The U.S. Civil War?' www.youtube.com

In a reference to Haley's comments, a post on President Joe Biden's @JoeBiden X account declared, "It was about slavery."

Haley served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during a portion of former President Donald Trump's White House tenure. She had also previously served as the governor of South Carolina.

Haley and the other candidates vying for the GOP presidential nod have been polling far behind Trump.

Haley has said the President Joe Biden is too old. The 81-year-old incumbent would be 86 at the end of a second term in office if re-elected.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has endorsed Haley for president.

"REASON #25 I’m supporting @NikkiHaley for President: She’s on Santa’s ‘Nice’ List. It made putting my Christmas list together easy this year: A NIKKI HALEY WIN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE!" Sununu tweeted.

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New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu endorses Nikki Haley for president



New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) has endorsed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for president.

"To go and get endorsed by the live free or die governor is about as rock solid of an endorsement as we could hope for," Haley declared while standing with Sununu at an event.

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"I AM enthusiastically endorsing Nikki Haley for president of the United States, and I am asking New Hampshire voters to join me in being a part of this movement. We must support the best conservative candidate in this race who can win in November 2024 to deliver results in 2025," Sununu wrote in an op-ed.

"I consider Governors Ron DeSantis and Chris Christie friends, and I believe they would both make strong presidents. But in 2024, Republicans must unite around the candidate that has the best chance at defeating Donald Trump in the primary so that we can get back to winning up and down the ballot," he wrote.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president last month.

The New Hampshire GOP presidential primary will be held on January 23, while the Iowa GOP caucus will take place on January 15.

Former President Donald Trump has been maintaining a decisive lead over the GOP presidential primary field, according to polls.

Last week, DeSantis, Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and author and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy participated in the fourth GOP presidential primary debate. Trump, who has not attended any of the debates, offered his thoughts in a post on Truth Social, writing, "Vivek WINS because he thinks I'm great." Trump also continued referring to Haley as "Birdbrain." Haley served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during a portion of Trump's White House tenure.

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North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum drops GOP presidential primary bid, slams RNC debate eligibility criteria



North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), who had been running in the GOP presidential primary, has suspended campaign.

The Republican National Committee has been requiring candidates to meet certain polling and unique donor thresholds in order to participate in Republican presidential primary debates. Earlier this year, Burgum had offered people a $20 gift card in exchange for a $1 donation, a move that helped boost the number of people who donated to his campaign. He made it into the first two Republican presidential primary debates, but did not get to participate in the third debate, which took place last month.

In a statement, Burgum blasted the RNC's debate eligibility criteria.

"The RNC's clubhouse debate requirements are nationalizing the primary process and taking the power of democracy away from the engaged, thoughtful citizens of Iowa and New Hampshire," Burgum declared. "These arbitrary criteria ensure advantages for candidates from major media markets on the coasts versus America's Heartland. None of their debate criteria relate to the qualifications related to actually doing the job of the president. This effort to nationalize the primary system is unhealthy for the future of the party, especially for a party that proclaims to value leadership from outside of Washington."

"While this primary process has shaken my trust in many media organizations and political party institutions, it has only strengthened my trust in America," Burgum noted.

The fourth Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 presidential election cycle is scheduled to take place on December 6 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and will be moderated by Megyn Kelly, Eliana Johnson, and Elizabeth Vargas.

Former President Donald Trump, who has been participating in the debates, has been trouncing the rest of the Republican primary field in polls.

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