Charleston, South Carolina – Republican primary voters in South Carolina say former President Donald Trump, 77, is physically and mentally more fit to be president than former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, 52.
After winning the Iowa caucuses, New Hampshire primary and Nevada caucuses, Trump’s quick victory in South Carolina was no surprise. He was declared the winner shortly after voting closed at 7 p.m., leading with 60% to Haley’s 39% with about three-quarters of the votes counted.
CBS News, ABC News, NBC News, and washington post paints a picture of the coalition behind both candidates in the election, resulting in both expected and unexpected results.
The leading Democratic and Republican candidates are 81 and 77 years old, respectively, making physical and mental health an even more important topic heading into the 2024 election. President Joe Biden’s age in particular has come under intense scrutiny.
Even though Trump has supported Haley for 25 years, South Carolina Republican primary voters had more confidence in Trump’s physical and mental strength than she did. A CBS News exit poll found that 72% think Trump is healthy enough on both counts to become president, while just 27% disagree. Ms Haley fell short of Mr Trump, with 60% saying she had the physical and mental abilities to be commander in chief.
According to ABC News, 71% of respondents said President Trump’s physical and mental health is satisfactory for the president, while only 59% said the same about Haley.
Part of Ms. Haley’s talking points during her campaign was the need to usher in a new generation of leadership, noting her age difference with many members of Congress and the two most popular presidential candidates. She even called for mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75.
And while her claims didn’t seem to resonate with many, Louis Tabb, 74, of Beaufort, South Carolina, compared Haley to both Biden and Trump. He said he was “the only one of the three remaining who can speak in complete sentences.”
Trump’s most influential demographic groups included people who identify as “very conservative,” white evangelical Christians, voters without a college degree, and self-identified Republicans.
Rusty Howe, 60, of Hanahan, South Carolina, said he voted for Trump “because that’s what Christians want.”
Exit polls showed Haley’s coalition was made up of independents, centrists and Democrats. According to NBC News, Haley won 54% to 43% of independents. He defeated Trump even among “moderates,” receiving 67% of the vote to Trump’s 32%.
But even Gregory Moushazian, a 64-year-old independent who came forward to support Haley at Meminger Elementary School, didn’t expect Haley to make it.
“I don’t think Nikki Haley will win in South Carolina… Donald Trump will probably win given all the rhetoric you’re hearing,” Moushagian said.
Haley was often chosen by voters who cited abortion as their top concern, garnering 51% support. washington post.
But for many South Carolina Republican voters, immigration and the economy were top concerns, and among those who chose either, Mr. Trump outperformed Ms. Haley.
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This also proved to be an ineffective argument for Haley, although more voters suggested that Trump had a better chance of defeating Biden in the election than she did. His campaign has frequently touted the president’s positive polling numbers as evidence that he can form a stronger coalition than Trump in the general election.
Despite losing in her home state, Haley maintained her intention to remain in the race, arguing that voters wanted an alternative to Biden and Trump.
