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(NewsNation) — Donald Trump has won the Republican primary election in South Carolina and is now one step closer to securing the GOP presidential nomination.
“I have never seen the Republican party so unified as it is right now,” Trump said during a victory speech Saturday evening.
Appearing before a cheering crowd, the former president vowed to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and fire President Joe Biden in November.
“Our country is going to be respected again, respected like never before,” he said.
Polls showed Trump with a commanding 30-point lead over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley heading into the night and the race was called shortly after polls closed.
Haley was banking on a momentum-shifting performance in her home state to close the gap on Trump, who had already picked up wins in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.
Despite the latest defeat, the former South Carolina governor has vowed to stay in the race until at least Super Tuesday on March 5 when more than a dozen contests take place. This year, it will account for more than one-third of all Republican delegates.
Saturday’s result comes a few weeks after President Joe Biden cruised to victory in South Carolina’s Democratic primary. As of now, the president doesn’t have a serious challenger in his party.
Several recent polls have shown Trump leading Biden in key battleground states.