(RepublicanReport.org) – Former President Donald Trump started out the primary race facing multiple other candidates. By the time Super Tuesday rolled around, it was just him and former US Ambassador Nikki Haley. After a dismal showing, she dropped out of the race but stopped short of endorsing Trump, instead saying he needed to win her voters. Now, he’s the sole Republican in the primary, but a recent showing may indicate not all is well.
Pennsylvania Primary
On Tuesday, April 23, hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians went to the polls to cast their vote for who they want to serve as president and other political roles. While the former president gained 83.5% of the vote, more than 150,000 people also voted for Haley, who is no longer in the race. Many believe this is an indicator that Pennsylvanians are protesting his running, and being a swing state, it could play a significant role in the 2024 presidential election.
The former president has already won enough delegates to secure the nomination, though that announcement won’t be made until late summer. If you flash back to 2020, then-candidate Joe Biden won the state by less than 2%, approximately 80,000 votes. With this shaping up to be a very tight race, Trump needs a positive showing and to garner as much support as possible. With a large swath of Republicans choosing Haley, it shows that there is a disconnect between the former president and those who support his former cabinet member. He has to make up this ground in order to win the prominent states and electoral votes.
President Biden secured 87.9% of the vote in the Democratic primary, though more than 69,000 voted for Rep. Dean Phillips (MN) and another 60,000-plus submitted write-in candidates.
The next primary is set to take place in Indiana on May 7.
Trump Meeting With Foreign Leaders
Trump is not letting the polling figures — or his ongoing legal woes — get to him. He has, in recent weeks, met or spoken with past and current foreign leaders. This includes a 2.5-hour meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday, April 17, where the two discussed NATO and Ukraine, among other global issues.
The following week, Trump held a 1-hour meeting with former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, though the Japanese government says it was not involved and Taro’s visit was a solo decision. Trump also recently spoke with Bahrain’s leader, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, showing he still has very strong connections from his time in the White House.
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