Donald Trump wants to be inducted Tuesday as the undisputed championé Republicans on the big day of "Super Tuesday" and definitively bury his rival Nikki Haley, to devote himself to his new duel facing à Joe Biden. “Super Tuesday” is an essential event in American politics, during which 15 states simultaneously organize their presidential primaries. From Maine to California, from Texas to Virginia, from Alaska to Alabama, millions of Americans are called to the polls to choose their Democratic and Republican candidates for the November election. The first polling stations open at 11:00 GMT. But this big election day, which is traditionally the subject of great media attention, has a slightly different flavor this year, as it seems devoid of any suspense. On the Republican side, only two candidates are still in the running and Donald Trump is by far the favorite. – Deaf ear – Despite his legal troubles, the 77-year-old former president has won almost every primary organized by his party since January and, in doing so, ousted much of the competition. Nikki Haley, 52, is the only one still standing in her way. The American presidential calendar © AFP – Jonathan WALTER, Anibal MAIZ CACERES, Gal ROMA The former governor of South Carolina, who embodies a more traditional wing of the Republican Party, promises to restore “normalcy” in the face of “Trump's chaos”. She regularly attacks her rival on his age, demanding that he take an intellectual aptitude test. Republican voters turn a deaf ear. According to the polls, Donald Trump is expected to win each of the next states in play, relying, as always, on an extremely solid base of followers. Her advisor Jason Miller assured AFP that he expected “victories, lots of victories” on Tuesday evening. – Will Haley hang on ? – Apart from a symbolic victory Sunday evening in the capital Washington, Nikki Haley has had a series of crushing defeats, including in the state where she been governor. The former UN ambassador, however, continued to hold on, assuring that throwing in the towel would be “the easy way out”. Nikki Haley, Maine, March 3, 2024 © AFP – Joseph Prezioso Will she stay in the race if the bad news continues to fall? Pressed on the question, the main interested party remains vague . “We're going to continue until Super Tuesday,” she told reporters in late February. “That's as far as I've thought about strategy.” Donald Trump, who keeps calling his rival unflattering nicknames — ” “bird brain” is his favorite — insists that Nikki Haley “is going to lose every state” in the game on Tuesday. – Biden facing the Americans on Thursday – The primaries can in theory stretch until July. But Donald Trump's team expects a victory “on March 19” at the latest, after votes notably in Georgia and Florida. The billionaire wants to be able to concentrate as soon as possible on his return match with Democratic President Joe Biden — before being sucked into his legal troubles. His first criminal trial begins March 25, at New York. US President Joe Biden, in Texas, February 29, 2024 © AFP – Jim WATSON Donald Trump claims to be “much more popular” since he was indicted, but a number of polls show that support for his candidacy would crumble considerably if he were convicted in one of his criminal cases. He claims to be innocent and the victim of a “witch hunt”. Democratic side , President Joe Biden, 81, is running for re-election and faces no serious opposition. The candidacies of two Democrats pursuing him, Minnesota MP Dean Phillips and best-selling author Marianne Williamson, never really aroused enthusiasm , despite the recurring criticisms expressed by voters on the age of the president, or his support for Israel. Tuesday's elections are at most a formality for Joe Biden. The leader will, however, defend his record and unfold his vision for America during a major general policy speech to Congress, the traditional “State of the Union “, Thursday. Struggling in the polls, the outgoing president “must use this last opportunity to address millions of Americans to present the contrast between his vision and what life will be like under Donald Trump,” says political scientist Wendy Schiller. All rights of reproduction and representation reserved. © (2024) Agence France-Presse
By Teilor Stone
Teilor Stone has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining Thesaxon , Teilor Stone worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my teilor@nizhtimes.com 1-800-268-7116