The Republican National Committee (RNC) officially designated former President Donald Trump as the presumptive GOP nominee for president, making the announcement shortly after former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley suspended her presidential campaign on Super Tuesday. Haley’s decision followed a series of losses, allowing Trump to secure significant gains in the delegate count.
RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel congratulated Trump on his “huge primary victory” and acknowledged Haley’s hard-fought campaign, highlighting her historic achievement as the first woman to win a Republican presidential primary contest. McDaniel emphasized Trump’s past accomplishments, such as a booming economy, secure borders, energy independence, and strength on the world stage, contrasting them with what she deemed the chaos created by Joe Biden.
Expressing the unity of Republican voters with historically large margins, McDaniel underscored the party’s determination to defeat Biden and Democrats in the upcoming November elections. Her tenure as RNC chairwoman has faced scrutiny, particularly after announcing her decision to step down under pressure from Trump. Despite Trump’s sweeping victories on Super Tuesday, Vermont proved an exception, where Haley secured a win by approximately 4 points.
Haley’s lone Super Tuesday victory was downplayed by her campaign, which released a statement emphasizing her status as a female candidate and warning of deep concerns among a significant block of Republican primary voters regarding Trump. In her official announcement of the campaign suspension, Haley did not endorse Trump, adding an intriguing element to the evolving dynamics within the GOP.
Trump, on his social media platform, Truth Social, claimed victory over Haley and invited her supporters to join what he dubbed the “greatest movement in the history of our Nation.” He thanked his family, friends, and the Republican Party for contributing to what he asserted was the most successful Super Tuesday in history. Trump’s message underscored his view of Biden as an adversary destroying the country, echoing the “Make America Great Again” rallying cry that defined his previous presidential campaign.
