(New York) President Joe Biden clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday with a decisive victory in the swing state of Georgia, overcoming concerns about his leadership within his own party as the presidential race of 2024 is about to go through a moment that will crystallize a rematch in the general elections, displeasing to many voters.
Donald Trump, too, was on track to secure his party’s nomination despite his own political problems. The former Republican president, who is accused in four criminal cases, also won Georgia, but was just below the threshold needed to clinch the Republican Party nomination, with votes still being collected in Mississippi, l Washington State and Hawaii.
Overall, Tuesday marks a watershed moment for a nation uneasy, to say the least, about its choices in 2024.
An electoral rematch between Mr Biden and Mr Trump – the first between two US presidents since 1956 – will almost certainly deepen the country’s searing political and cultural divisions over the next eight months.
On the eve of Tuesday’s primaries, Mr. Trump acknowledged that President Biden would be the Democratic nominee, even as he launched a new attack on the president’s age.
“I suppose he will be the candidate,” Donald Trump said about Joe Biden on CNBC. I am his only adversary other than life, life itself. »
PHOTO ANDREW HARNIK, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Donald Trump
Mr. Biden also turned much of his attention to Donald Trump, whom the Democratic president described as a serious threat to democracy while campaigning Monday evening in New Hampshire. He also promised a more marked presence during the coming campaign.
“I look forward to participating in more and more of these events,” Biden said. He later joked about his age. “I know I don’t look it, but I’ve been here for a while. »
Georgia topped the list of four states holding primaries on Tuesday.
The state was a crucial battleground in the last presidential election – so close that Trump found himself indicted there for his desire to “add 11,780 votes” to overturn Mr Biden’s victory.
But as both candidates invest their energy in the key state, they are grappling with glaring flaws.
Mr. Trump faces 91 counts in four criminal cases involving manipulation of classified documents and attempting to overturn the results after the 2020 election, among other alleged crimes. He also faces increasingly pointed questions about his political plans and his relationships with some of the world’s most dangerous dictators. Mr. Trump met privately on Friday with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has rolled back democracy in his country.
Mr. Biden, 81, was working to assure a skeptical electorate that he is still physically and mentally capable of succeeding in the world’s most important office.
He also faces dissension within his party’s progressive base, angry that he has not done more to stop Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Last month in Michigan, an “uncommitted” protest vote garnered more than 100,000 votes and actually secured the support of two Democratic delegates.
Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, signs scattered across Seattle urged primary attendees to also vote “no strings attached,” with some signs reading: “Over 30,000 dead.” Vote for a ceasefire on Tuesday March 12. »
It’s much the same in Georgia, where local politicians and religious leaders are pushing Mr. Biden to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
“The most valuable tool we have to hold this president accountable for his harmful policies is our vote,” Rami Al-Kabra, a Palestinian Muslim American and deputy mayor of Bothell, said before the March 12 election. city located about 21 km northeast of Seattle.
Mr. Biden entered Tuesday with 102 delegates short of the 1,968 needed to officially become the presumptive Democratic nominee. There are 254 Democratic delegates at stake Tuesday in Georgia, Mississippi and Washington state, in addition to party-run elections for the Northern Mariana Islands and Democrats Abroad, for whom voting ends this day.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump is also on track to hit his magic number.
As of Sunday, he was 137 delegates short of the 1,215 needed to win the Republican nomination at the party’s national convention this summer. There are 161 Republican delegates at stake Tuesday in Georgia, Mississippi, Washington state and Hawaii.
With a strong performance on Tuesday, Mr. Trump can pocket all the delegates from Georgia, Mississippi and Washington state. Hawaii awards delegates proportionally so that other candidates can gain a few, even with a small share of the vote.
Unsure whether he will hit the target, Mr. Trump’s campaign team has not planned a big victory party like it did last week when hundreds of people packed his Mar-a club -Lago for a Super Tuesday celebration with drinks and hors d’oeuvres distributed.
Associated Press writers Hallie Golden in Seattle, Fatima Hussein in Manchester, New Hampshire and Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.
Associated Press writers Hallie Golden in Seattle, Fatima Hussein in Manchester, New Hampshire and Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.