Neither Donald Trump nor Nikki Haley got what they wanted in New Hampshire this week. Trump mobilized his forces to deal a fatal blow to Haley in the first direct confrontation, which did not occur.
Haley needed to have ended up closer to Trump to build her image as a viable candidate for the Republican Party's nomination for the presidential election. She was 11 percentage points behind the former president, a blurred result that did not bring much clarity to the dispute.
Trump appeared more angry than relieved about his victory. Haley seemed ready to move on. And both seemed intent on getting out of New Hampshire as quickly as possible Tuesday night.
Now, after a brief stop in Nevada on February 8, the nomination battle will move to Haley's home state of South Carolina, which she governed between 2011 and 2017.
Trump is the favorite to win the Feb. 24 primary, but Haley has a month to campaign, raise money, run television ads and be in the news as much as possible.
She also no longer has competition from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis abandoned the campaign last Sunday and left Haley in the position she wanted: the only challenger left to face Trump. The next few weeks will tell if she can take advantage.
Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, President Joe Biden avoided an embarrassing defeat to Minnesota congressman Dean Phillips.
Despite not being on the ballot due to New Hampshire's decision to hold the primary in defiance of party rules, voters could write Biden's name on the paper themselves and he easily beat Phillips, saving his campaign from great tension.
Biden is also eyeing South Carolina, where Democrats will hold their primaries on February 3, marking the official start of the party's nominating process — and Biden is expected to pull it off without a hitch as his campaign plans a second showdown with Trump .
Ron DeSantis ended his presidential campaign on Sunday with a quote falsely attributed to Winston Churchill: “Success is not definitive, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Organizations related to Churchill's legacy have addressed the fabricated quote.
“Whatever the framing, Governor DeSantis’ last act was a skid,” said Churchill expert Kevin Ruane.
(Reporting by James Oliphant)
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
