Former President Trump on Tuesday avoided any mention of his lone GOP primary rival, Nikki Haley, as he celebrated his slew of primary victories on Super Tuesday.
Trump spoke for roughly 20 minutes from his Mar-a-Lago estate after winning Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas, Massachusetts, Colorado, Maine, Alabama, Arkansas and Minnesota. He predicted the GOP would unify “very quickly” but did not make any references to Haley, who has yet to drop out.
“We have a great Republican Party with tremendous talent, and we want to have unity, and we’re going to have unity, and it’s going to happen very quickly,” said Trump, who has previously heaped insults on Haley after primary wins. “And I have been saying lately, success will bring unity to our country.”
Haley was projected to win the Vermont primary, and Trump will not win the necessary delegates on Tuesday to clinch his party’s nomination. But he is on the precipice of becoming the presumptive nominee, and he will likely surpass the required delegate threshold no later than March 19.
Trump’s remarks showed a clear fixation on November’s likely rematch with President Biden, as he spent extensive time bashing the current administration on inflation, immigration and foreign policy.
“November 5 … is going to go down as the single most important day in the history of our country,” Trump told supporters.
Haley did not address supporters on camera on Tuesday. She watched results with staff from her home state of South Carolina. The former South Carolina governor and ambassador to the United Nations had pledged to stay in the race through Super Tuesday.
President Biden meanwhile said Tuesday’s results left the American people with a clear choice between him and Trump.
“My message to the country is this: Every generation of Americans will face a moment when it has to defend democracy,” Biden said in a statement. “Stand up for our personal freedom. Stand up for the right to vote and our civil rights. To every Democrat, Republican, and independent who believes in a free and fair America: This is our moment. This is our fight. Together, we will win.”