Donald Trump is one step closer to the Republican presidential nomination after a massive win over Nikki Haley in South Carolina.
The former president won his primary opponent’s home state by a 20-point margin, his fourth consecutive victory.
Mr Trump made no mention of his rival as he celebrated, setting his sights instead on the general election in November.
That will be a likely rematch with his successor in the White House.
“We’re going to look Joe Biden right in the eye,” he told supporters minutes after US media projected him as the winner on Saturday night. “He’s destroying our country – and we’re going to say ‘get out Joe, you’re fired’.”
Mr Trump lauded his party’s “unity” after Saturday’s result, saying: “There’s never been a spirit like this. I have never seen the Republican Party so unified.”
It marked a shift from his response to last month’s primary in New Hampshire, where he raged against Ms Haley for “doing a speech like she won”.
Ms Haley, who once served as a popular two-term governor of South Carolina, congratulated her opponent on his victory in her speech.
She vowed to stay in the race, however, saying the roughly 40% of the vote she received was “not some tiny group”.
The Trump campaign dismissed Ms Haley’s continued effort in a statement on Saturday, stating that her “delusion is clouding her judgement, and she is no longer living in reality”.
In the days leading up to the South Carolina vote, the Trump campaign predicted the former president will accumulate enough delegates to formally clinch the nomination within the next month.
Ms Haley does not have a clear path forward – her opponent has a large lead in the delegate count and is polling far ahead in all future contests.
And yet the Haley campaign is still standing, in large part, due to contributions from deep-pocketed donors. That flow of cash has continued despite her facing long odds.
Ms Haley re-committed to staying in the race until at least Super Tuesday – 5 March – when voters in 16 states will cast their ballots on the same day.
Donald Trump Defeats Nikki Haley In Her Home State Of South Carolina
