With the resignation of Ron DeSantis from his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States, Republicans are now concentrating their hopes of returning to the White House on two names that represent opposite directions within conservatism: Donald Trump and Nikki Haley. Just one week after the start of the primaries to choose the party's presidential candidate, three of the candidates threw in the towel, leaving Haley as the former president's only rival.
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“There are only one man and one woman left”. That was the statement of the former US ambassador to the UN and Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley after Ron DeSantis' resignation from his aspiration for the White House, this Sunday, January 21.
Although the list of presidential candidates began with more than 10 people nominated, the tough political contest within the Republican Party has been sweeping away those who, although they had the aspiration, did not obtain the necessary support within the party structure or the popular vote and had to abandon the race.
The last exit from the fierce Republican competition was that of the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, who decided to give up the presidential candidacy and, incidentally, express all his support for the favorite in the polls, former President Donald Trump. All this just two days before the primary elections in the state of New Hampshire, a litmus test for the two contenders who are still standing.
Although Ryan Binkley, pastor and businessman, is technically still in the fight for the Republican candidacy, he does not have the support enough to represent a realistic option for conservatism. He did not even qualify for the debates between pre-candidates (to participate, a specific number of donors, survey results, and a commitment to support the party's future candidate are required).
Donald Trump, the favorite
With the departure of DeSantis, only those who occupied first place (Trump) and third place (Haley) in the Iowa caucus or electoral assembly, on January 15, remain.
On the one hand, there is the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump. Controversial due to his conservative speech and the multiple court cases opened against him, some of them for his role in the unprecedented attack on the Capitol in January 2021, after losing re-election to Joe Biden. However, The New York tycoon also leads the internal polls of the Republican Party, reaching almost 70% approval among voters, according to the historical compilation of polls by ABC News.
After a first presidential term in which there was no shortage of controversies (2017-2021), Trump promises to toughen immigration policies, implementing funds to continue the construction of the wall on the southern border and threatening to take a more hostile stance with Mexico if not. It is possible to stop the trafficking of fentanyl into United States territory.
Winner of the Iowa caucus with a landslide result of nearly 50% of the vote, Trump will seek his second term in the White House at the age of 77.
Precisely, age has been one of the biggest sources of criticism in recent days for the former president, especially from his now only rival, Nikki Haley, who has questioned whether Trump still has the capacity to face the challenge of being the leader. of the most powerful country in the world.
Nikki Haley, the contender
After the resignation of DeSantis, who had come second in the Iowa caucus with 21% – 30 points below Trump – the only real opposition to the former president's candidacy is Nikki Haley. Former governor of South Carolina and former US ambassador to the UN, precisely during Trump's term, Haley is now challenging an old political ally to run for the White House.
With a pragmatic campaign that defends a political “return to normality”, Haley, 52, will seek to gain the trust of moderate conservatives, undecided or who do not fit with the program proposed by Donald Trump, in addition to convincing those more radical that the New York tycoon is not a good option to manage the direction of the country.
During a campaign event in New Hampshire, the second stop of the Republican race, the former ambassador acknowledged DeSantis' resignation and highlighted that the party's presidential candidacy is now between “a man and a woman.”
“For now, I'll leave you with this: May the best one win,” Haley said.
Branded as a “globalist” by the Trump campaign team, Nikki Haley will seek to materialize a historic surprise within the Republican Party, since starts with 12% approval among Republican votersaccording to Reuters polls.
With the possible support of disappointed DeSantis voters and the entire anti-Trump Republican wing, Haley will have to obtain a good result in New Hampshire, this January 23, to strike a blow of authority and establish herself as a serious competitor to Trump's candidacy , which with current numbers, seems inevitable.
With AP, EFE and Reuters
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