WASHINGTON (AP) — The President joe biden and former president donald trump On Tuesday, he won a decisive victory in a low-profile primary, confirming each party's presidential nominee and setting up a rematch in the general election. many voters don't want.
There was no doubt about the outcome of the contest, which spanned Georgia, Mississippi and Washington. Neither Democrat Biden nor Republican Trump faced much opposition. But the magnitude of their victories gave each of them the majority of delegates needed to claim the party's nomination at the summer's national convention.
Tuesday, less than halfway through the presidential primary calendar, was a crystallizing moment for a nation anxious about its 2024 choices.
There is no longer any doubt that the fall election will be a rematch between two flawed and unpopular presidents. Biden, 81, is already the oldest president in U.S. history, while Trump, 77, faces decades in prison as a defendant in four criminal cases. The rematch, the first between two U.S. presidents since 1912, is almost certain to deepen political and cultural rifts in the country over the next eight months.
Biden congratulated Trump on his nomination in a statement, condemning him as a serious threat to democracy.
Trump and Biden “are waging a campaign of resentment, revenge, and retaliation that threatens the very idea of America,” he said.
He added, “At a time when the threat posed by President Trump is grave, a broad coalition of voters representing the rich diversity of the Democratic Party across the country has once again placed their trust in me to lead our party and myself. I am honored to have led our country.” More amazing than ever. ”
President Trump celebrated what he called a “great day of victory” in a video posted to social media.
“We have the worst president in our country's history, and now we have to get back to work,” Trump said of Biden. “So we're not going to take any time to celebrate. Let's celebrate when the election is over in eight months.”
In Tuesday's primaries, both candidates held strong positions in battleground states like Georgia, red-hued Mississippi and Democratic-leaning Washington. Trump also won the Hawaii Republican caucus.
Despite the tough tone, the road ahead will not be easy for both candidates.
President Trump faces 91 felony charges 4 criminal cases Charges include handling classified documents and attempting to overturn the 2020 election. He also faces increasingly pointed questions about his policy plans and relationships with some of the world's most dangerous dictators.President Trump met privately with the Hungarian prime minister on Friday. viktor orbanset back his country's democracy.
Mr. Biden, who will be 86 at the end of his next term, is working to assure skeptical voters that he is still physically and mentally fit for the world's most important job. Voters in both parties are dissatisfied with his handling of immigration and inflation.
And he's dealing with further discord within his party's progressive base, furious that he's not doing more to stop it. Israel's war against Hamas In Gaza. Activists and religious leaders in Washington encouraged Democrats to vote “irresponsibly” to show their anger.
In Seattle, 26-year-old voter Vera Rivera said she hopes their “committed” vote will be a wake-up call for Democrats.
“If you really want our votes, if you want to win this election, you're going to have to show a little more support for Palestinian liberation, which is very important to us. And defund Israel. There is a need to do so.” Rivera is a kindergarten teacher who uses they/them pronouns.
Donna Graham, a retiree about 3,000 miles away in Georgia, said she would have chosen another Republican candidate over Trump, but said she is not likely to vote for Biden in the general election.
“He wasn't my first choice, but he's the next best thing,” Graham said of Trump. “It's unfortunate that it's going to be the same matchup as four years ago.”
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Associated Press writers Harry Golden in Seattle, Jeff Amy in Loganville, Georgia, Fatima Hussein in Manchester, New Hampshire, and Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.