Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden were denied total victory in the Super Tuesday races. Trump must be annoyed by Nikki Haley’s surprise win in Vermont. Biden probably didn’t anticipate being beaten in American Samoa by the entrepreneur Jason Palmer, as is being projected in US media.
But neither of these hiccups stood in the way of both the front-runners solidifying their positions as their party’s candidates. They are both now focused on attacking each other as the general election campaign has essentially begun – eight months before the vote.
The results did throw up some warning signs for both candidates, highlighting their potential weaknesses.
Biden should be worried about the exit polls that suggested the issue voters care about most is immigration and the southern US border. That is Trump’s signature issue and it was the main focus of his victory speech last night.
He may also be concerned about the “uncommitted” vote in some states, fuelled by voters’ anger about the president’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza. Those same people might refuse to turn up to vote for Biden in November, or switch their support to a third-party candidate.
Trump’s long list of primary wins demonstrates his domination over his party – but Haley has attracted a significant chunk of Republican primary voters, many of whom say they will not switch to supporting Trump.
The former president made no attempt to woo Haley voters in last night’s speech, making no mention of his rival.
While Haley appears to be preparing to pull out, she may not be ready to endorse Trump.