Donald Trump beat Nikki Haley in the Republican primary in South Carolina.
The result will strengthen his grip on the race to be his party's nominee for president.
Mr. Trump He notched his fourth straight primary win on Saturday, handing an embarrassing loss to his state's last remaining major challenger.
He won with an approval rating of 59.8% compared to 39.5% for Haley, according to NBC News, Sky's US partner.
Trump entered the primary with a large lead in the polls and with support from the state's top Republicans, including Senator Tim Scott.
In a speech after his victory, Trump described the victory as “bigger than we expected.”
“I have never seen the Republican Party as united as it is now,” Trump said, pledging that if elected, “our country will be respected again, respected like never before.”
“So this is a great evening,” he said.
Trump's margin of victory shows that his grip on the party is tightening
His victory builds on the momentum he gained after victories in Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire.
Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations, spent weeks touring the state that twice elected its governor, warning that Trump, who is 77 years old and faces four indictments, is too old and too distracted to be president again.
Photo: Reuters
She has repeatedly pledged to stay in the race even if she loses her home state, and she repeated that promise in a speech Saturday evening.
Please use Chrome browser for an easily accessible video player
United States: Trump defeats Haley in the South Carolina Republican primary
The former governor also congratulated Trump on his win, but continued to criticize him and his approach to politics in her speech.
“I am a woman of my word,” Ms. Healy said. “I will not give up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden.”
Read more:
Trump was accused of giving Republicans the “green light” to stop funding Ukraine
Trump promotes gold “Never Surrender Hi-Top” sneakers.
The nearly 40% of votes she received in the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries are “not a small group,” she said, adding that voters in states that have not yet held primaries have the right to choose.
But she faces a tough road now, as she has in all but one primary since 1980, in which the Republican winner in South Carolina became the party's nominee.
Haley has become noticeably more aggressive in her attacks on her rival in recent days, questioning Trump's mental capacity and warning voters that he will lose the general election in November.
However, her sarcasm appears to have had little impact on the Republican base, which has largely swung behind the former president.
Whoever wins in the end between Trump and Haley is set to do battle with President Joe Biden in the November elections.
