Trump Defeats Haley in Michigan Republican Primary

Oliver Contreras/SIPA USA (Sipa via AP Images)

Former President Donald Trump drubbed former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in Tuesday’s Republican presidential primary in Michigan.

CNN and other networks called the race as soon as the last polls closed. The quick call was hardly surprising given that Trump had been leading Haley by 50 points or more in recent polling .

She has so far resisted calls from Republicans to drop her bid. On Saturday, Trump defeated Haley by 20 points in her home state of South Carolina, as the networks called the race within seconds of the polls closing. The defiant former governor vowed to press on.

Haley, who served as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, is likely looking ahead to Super Tuesday on March 5, when 15 states will hold Republican primaries and caucuses. Polls in those states largely do not bode well and the Koch network has said it will no longer spend money to boost her campaign.

Despite having worked for the former president, Haley has received the usual Trump treatment on the campaign trail. Trump has repeatedly referred to her as “ birdbrain ” and reveled in posting polling data showing him well ahead.

Haley has tried to persuade primary voters to choose her over Trump because of the latter’s myriad legal issues. The former president is under indictment in four jurisdictions. Two of those cases stem from his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Trump is also embroiled in a civil case in which he has been ordered to pay more than $450 million in fines plus interest after he was found liable for defrauding banks and insurance companies.

Watch above via CNN.