“The people spoke for Trump,” he told The Epoch Times.
Mr. Norman, who has campaigned for Ms. Haley across the state, stressed that both President Trump and Ms. Haley “love America.”
“What she will have to do… is make a decision.”
“What she’ll do is count the delegates up,” he said when asked about her possible moves after Super Tuesday, March 5, when a large number of delegate-heavy Republican contests will be decided.
“At the end of the day, everybody will come together, whether it’s [for] Nikki Haley or Donald Trump,” Mr. Norman predicted,
Related Stories
—Nathan Worcester
Haley Speaks After Loss: ‘I’m Not Giving Up This Fight’
CHARLESTON, S.C.—After losing the South Carolina Republican presidential primary to former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley took the stage in a half-empty ballroom to congratulate President Trump on winning. The move garnered a few boos and no cheers from the pro-Haley crowd.
As expected, Ms. Haley did not drop out and signaled she would stay in at least through Super Tuesday, March 5.
“We need to beat Joe Bidden in November. I don’t believe Donald Trump can beat Joe Biden,” she said.
“Today, in South Carolina, we’re getting around 40 percent of the vote. That’s about what we got in New Hampshire too. I’m an accountant. I know 40 percent is not 50 percent. But I also know 40 percent is not some tiny group,” she said.
As of 8:37 E.T., Ms. Haley had just under 40 percent of the vote in her home state with 45 percent in, according to AP.
“I’m not giving up this fight” when the majority of Americans don’t support President Trump or Biden, she said.
“We’re headed to Michigan tomorrow. And we’re headed to the Super Tuesday states throughout all of next week,” she said, adding that Americans deserve multiple candidates, not a “Soviet-style election.”
“Y’all are a rowdy bunch, but I love that about you,” she said.
She consistently reiterated that she felt “blessed” throughout the process of running.
“We are very grateful for the good people of South Carolina,” she said.
She also thanked Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), one of the few prominent South Carolina lawmakers who supported her over President Trump.
—Nathan Worcester
Haley Not Dropping Out Despite Bruising Loss
GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley is moving on to Michigan on Sunday, despite suffering an expected-yet-humiliating loss in her home state primary on Feb. 24, her campaign told The Epoch Times.
Ms. Haley has said for days that, regardless of how she does in South Carolina, she would move on to Super Tuesday—the March 5 date of the biggest number of nominating contests in one day.
However, this reiteration makes it definite she intends to move on in her long-shot bid.
—Jackson Richman
Trump: Kellyanne Conway Might Join RNC
As former President Donald Trump reveled in his projected South Carolina Republican primary victory, he suggested that Kellyanne Conway might be joining the Republican National Committee.
Amid a round of shoutouts and thank-yous, he called out North Carolina Republican Party Chair Michael Whatley, saying, “It looks to me like he’s going to be going on to the National Republican Party as the boss.”
“And he’s gonna be working with Lara,” he said of his daughter-in-law’s ongoing bid to become RNC co-chair. “And we may be putting Kellyanne in the group, too.
“Do we like Kellyanne? We love Kellyanne.”
The audience erupted in applause at the possibility.
Afterward, Ms. Conway told Fox News that she knew nothing of the RNC announcement and thinks President Trump went off-script.
She also observed that the former president is doing “fewer insults, more insights.”
–T.J. Muscaro
Trump Glides to Victory
COLUMBIA, S.C.–Former President Donald Trump has once again racked up a decisive victory over Republican challenger Nikki Haley. This time, he is running a victory lap around the former South Carolina governor in her home state.
The Associated Press called the South Carolina Republican presidential primary election for President Trump shortly after polls closed statewide at 7 p.m. ET. With this result, Ms. Haley became the first major-party candidate to lose her home state in the modern primary era.
“There’s a spirit that I’ve never seen,” President Trump told a jubilant crowd at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds in Columbia not long after the race was called.
“I have never seen the Republican party so unified as it is now.”
The crowd, which wasn’t expecting the former president to appear so soon, erupted in cheers and screamed “I love you.”
One man celebrated by tossing a teddy bear wearing in a Trump shirt into the air
“This was a great moment in American history,” said South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, who was with President Trump on stage. He compared the Trump campaign to a rocket launch and said, “We just hit maximum velocity!”
President Trump discussed the need to secure the southern border while drawing sharp contrasts between his domestic policies as president and those of President Joe Biden.
“You look outside, and you see all of the horror; you see millions and millions of people coming across the border illegally.”
However, the former president emphasized his plan to make America “respected again” if he clinches the GOP nomination and wins the general election on Nov. 4.
“Right now, we are a laughing stock around the world. We are going to be respected again, respected like never before.”
Notably, President Trump did mention his opponent in the primary, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, at any point in the speech.
This was in sharp contrast to his victory speech last month in New Hampshire, when he railed against Ms. Haley even though he defeated her. The former president was not happy that Ms. Haley had done her speech before him that night.
Commenting on the road ahead, President Trump on Saturday said he would return to the stage on Nov. 5 to “fire” President Biden.
“We’re going to look at Joe Biden, and we’re gonna look him right in the eye—he’s destroying our country—and we’re gonna say, ‘Joe, you’re fired! Get out, get out, Joe!’”
—Janice Hisle, Jacob Burg
‘Optimistic’ Haley Supporters React to Loss at Watch Party
CHARLESTON, S.C.—Just minutes after the Associated Press projected former President Donald Trump would win the South Carolina presidential primary, attendees of the former South Carolina governor’s election night event in Charleston responded in comments to The Epoch Times.
Ellie, a young woman with an all-access pass who declined to provide her last name, summed it up in a word: “Optimistic.”
She said she believes Ms. Haley will stay in the race past Super Tuesday.
Jeff and Amy, a couple from Charleston who also declined to share their last name, also reacted to the news.
Jeff stressed that the percentage of the vote for Ms. Haley would matter, predicting she could reach more than 40 percent.
Amy said the quick projections of results were “wrong.”
“I don’t think you should do that,” she added.
—Nathan Worcester
Mood Tense But Optimistic at Haley Watch Party
CHARLESTON, S.C.—As the minutes tick down until the polls close, those at former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley’s watch party in downtown Charleston were optimistic–but the tension in the air was palpable.
That could have been because of all the reporters and other journalists who were crowded in the back of the hall, waiting to hear results that will further test the viability of Ms. Haley’s campaign.
“I’m feeling very confident that Nikki is going to win tonight,” attendee Robin Solomon told The Epoch Times.
Her friend, a woman named Brenda who declined to share her last name, was cautiously optimistic about the likely outcome of tonight’s contest.
“I think she’s going to win, and I think she’s going to keep winning even if she loses,” Brenda told The Epoch Times.
Both women were Charlestonians.
—Nathan Worcester
Exit Polls of SC Primary Hint Trump Victory
Polls across South Carolina close a 7 p.m. tonight, and as the Republican Primary wraps up, exit polls are shedding light on what could be a very pro-Trump turnout.
As of 6:45 p.m. ET, CNN and NBC exit polls showed 69 percent of the voters identified as Republicans, 21 percent were Independents, four percent Democrats, and six percent were “something else.”
Within that number, 78 percent said they made their decision before January 2024, 45 percent of them said they were a part of the MAGA movement, and 65 percent said they did not think President Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election.
Former U.N. Ambassador and former South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley, remains the only Republican challenger to former President Donald Trump.
If President Trump won the nomination, only 27 percent of South Carolina voters said they would be dissatisfied. However, 57 percent of the voters said they would be dissatisfied if the nomination went to Ms. Haley.
Ms. Haley has also argued on the campaign trail that she is the only one who can defeat President Biden in a general election. But that does not appear to be a concern for her state’s voters.
Only 13 percent said the ability to defeat President Biden was the quality that mattered most in a candidate; 37 percent cared most about having a candidate who “fights for people like me,” and 33 percent said they wanted a candidate who “shares my values.”
Immigration and the economy also emerged as the most important issue among voters, and 70 percent of voters said they trust President Trump to handle the economy more than Ms. Haley, while 73 percent said they trust President Trump more to handle border security.
And even if President Trump is convicted, 65 percent of primary voters said he would still be fit to be president.
–T.J. Muscaro
Results of CPAC Straw Poll on Trump’s VP Are In
WASHINGTON—South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were CPAC attendees’ top choices for who they think former President Donald Trump should pick for his vice president.
In a straw poll that featured a list of 14 potential candidates, Ms. Noem and Mr. Ramaswamy tied for first at 15 percent each. Former presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard came in third at 9 percent.
Other contenders on the list included Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to name a few.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley tied for last with Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) at 2 percent each.
When asked who they would be voting for in the Republican primary, 94 percent said President Trump, compared to 4 percent who chose Ms. Haley.
Attendees also gave President Trump a 96 percent approval rating, and picked Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Mr. Vance as their favorite members of the House and Senate.
—Samantha Flom
‘Sound of Freedom’ Producer Calls for US, Mexico to Fight Child Trafficking Together
President and Founder of Movimiento Viva México Eduardo Verástegui, appeared at a CPAC panel on child trafficking and called for the United States and Mexico to work together to fight child trafficking.
He was joined by Tim Ballard, the former CEO of Operation Underground Railroad, and they shared that the United States is the number one consumer of child sex and Mexico is the number one provider due to its location.
“There’s a war on children right now, from our southern border to our classrooms, and education,” Mr. Ballard said. “So many things that children are being attacked.
“It’s a spiritual battle as well. And that’s the thing I think they didn’t want to talk about.”
Mr. Verástegui was a producer and actor in the movie “Sound of Freedom,” he saw the film as an example of what could happen when the good people of the United States and Mexico who want to end child trafficking come together to make a difference.
“The Sound of Freedom would force a conversation that they didn’t want to have, especially about the southern border, where you know, tens of thousands of kids have disappeared into the belly of the United States,” Mr. Ballard said.
But he and Mr. Verástegui also warned that when the bad people of both countries work together, the result is more child trafficking as well as illegal guns, drugs, abortions, and the culture of death.
“We’re brothers and sisters, Mexican United States, right,” Mr. Verástegui asked. “And we need to work together to eradicate all the bad stuff that we do to each other. And work together to capitalize on the good stuff that we do to each other. And let’s make Mexico and America great together.”
–T.J. Muscaro
Argentina President Milei: Make Argentina Great Again
Argentina’s Libertarian President Javier Milei called out social justice at CPAC 2024 and promised his own version of MAGA: “Make Argentina Great Again.”
“I come from a country that bought all of those stupid ideas from being one of the most affluent countries in the world,” he said. “Now, we’re ranked 149.”
Five million Argentinians don’t have enough to eat because of the government, according to the president.
The trend towards socialism, he said, led to the creation of corrupt politicians, media outlets, business owners, and trade unionists.
“There are professionals who make a living out of defending these corrupt groups and basically profess the religion of government of the states,” he said.
They are all resisting his changes, he said. But he does not plan to stop until he makes Argentina great again.
Socialism is violent in its redistribution, he said, which is “basically robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
The regulations and taxes inspired by social justice, he said, lead to stagnation, and rather than deregulation and increased production, the socialists push a murderous abortion agenda.
“Don’t let socialism in,” he told CPAC. “Don’t endorse regulation. Don’t endorse the idea of market failure. Don’t allow the advancement of the murderous agenda. And don’t let the siren calls of social justice fool you.”
“Fight for your freedom,” he shouted. If you don’t, the socialists will “drag you into misery.”
—T.J. Muscaro
Argentina President Calls Out ‘Murderous Abortion Agenda’
While detailing his economic policies at the 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Argentina President Javier Milei took a moment to call out the worldwide “abortion agenda” as “murderous.”
The libertarian politician, who has vowed to restore Argentina’s economy, said the modern “abortion agenda” can be traced back to Ancient Egypt and the attempt to “exterminate” Jewish people.
Mr. Milei ended his speech with a call to voters everywhere.
“Don’t let socialism advance. Don’t endorse regulation. Don’t endorse the idea of market failure. Don’t allow the advance of the murderous agenda. And don’t let the siren calls of social justice fool you.”
—Jacob Burg
Trump Watch Party
COLUMBIA, S.C.—Dozens of news crews are crammed into “the press pen,” an area restricted for credentialed media, awaiting former president Donald Trump‘s arrival at an undisclosed location in Columbia, South Carolina, the state capital. Signs at the front of the room proclaim, “South Carolina is Trump country!”
As a 5 p.m. a few members of the public have been allowed to filter in. Those include a group of men known as “front row Joe’s,” super fans of President Trump who have been to dozens of rallies. Some have followed him since the earliest days of his first presidential bid, which began in 2015.
Although a heavy media presence accompanies nearly all of former President Trump‘s speeches, the South Carolina primary media crowd appears to be bigger-than-usual, perhaps the biggest of the 2024 election so far.
This is a barometer for the significance of the South Carolina contest, widely viewed as challenger Nikki Haley’s last viable stand.
—Janice Hisle
Doctors: The WHO Wants to Control Healthcare in the US
The World Health Organization is aiming to weaponize public health to advance centralized control over medicine and expand that power to anything else it can define as a public health crisis.
In a panel hosted by Jan Jekielek, a senior editor of The Epoch Times, physicians Dr. Robert Malone and Dr. Brooke Miller expounded on what they see as a plan to expand the centralization of medicine.
“This appears to be a power grab,” Dr. Malone said.
While the WHO and its Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus deny it, Dr. Malone said the WHO, an agency of the United Nations, is proposing an international treaty that would allow them to establish treatment norms and define a public health crisis “for anything they wish.”
Dr. Malone said this control could be used to tell the United States what to do about matters like energy, carbon dioxide emissions, firearms, and abortion.
“Everything falls under public health as an issue, and then they will have the authority to mandate what nation-states shall do in response to those public health emergencies,” he said.
States that object, Dr. Malone said, will be subject to potential sanctions or other actions if they don’t follow the WHO’s commands.
—Austin Alonzo
Haley Calls Trump’s Comments at Black Conservative Event ‘Disgusting’
During a Feb. 24 press conference, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley blasted former President Donald Trump’s remarks at the Black Conservative Federation in South Carolina.
“It’s disgusting. But that’s what happens when he goes off the teleprompter,” Ms. Haley said on Kiawah Island when asked about his onstage comments.
“These lights are so bright in my eyes that I can’t see too many people out there. I can only see the black ones, I can’t see the white ones, you see? That’s how far I’ve come,” President Trump said to uproarious laughter and applause from his audience during the event.
“That’s the offensiveness that’s going to happen every day between now and the general election, which is why I continue to say Donald Trump cannot win a general election,” Ms. Haley said.
—Nathan Worcester
Nikki Haley Left Out of Trump’s CPAC Speech
Former President Trump completed his speech at CPAC without mentioning former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.
His sole challenger in the ongoing South Carolina Republican Primary had previously been the target of significant criticism.
Earlier today, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung called Ms. Haley President Joe Biden’s “biggest surrogate.”
And last night, President Trump told a crowd in Rock Hill, South Carolina, that Ms. Haley was working for Democratic donors and the radical left Democrats want her to win the nomination because “she’s the easiest one to beat.”
At CPAC, he kept his address focused primarily on the failures of the Biden administration,
injecting anecdotes from his own term in office.
“We’re going to win the election,” he said. “We’re going to win it big, and we’re going to win it bigger than ever before.
“We’re going to do things that nobody believed. It’s going to be more important even than 2016. We are going to make America great again.”
–T.J. Muscaro
Trump Says Gov. Gavin Newsom ‘Destroyed California’
After remarks on his efforts to secure the Mexican border while in office, former President Donald Trump took a swipe at California Gov. Gavin Newsom, calling him an “idiot” for his impact on The Golden State.
President Trump criticized Mr. Newsom for defending his track record in California in an interview with Fox host Sean Hannity as the state grapples with a water crisis.
The former president also hinted at rumors that began circulating last fall that Mr. Newsom might run for president on the Democratic ticket.
“Look, a lot of people think Gavin Newsom is going to run in a certain way. I hope so. I hope so. Because he’s destroyed California. He’s destroyed it, but he’s got a hell of a line of credit.”
—Jacob Burg
Voters Speak in South Carolina
The line snaking into John’s Island Library south of Charleston, South Carolina, was a long one on the early afternoon of Feb. 24. Area residents had come to choose a candidate in the Republican presidential primary, now effectively a showdown between former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Some of the voters shared their thoughts with The Epoch Times as they were leaving the site.
One couple, Michael and Jan, who declined to give their last name, explained that they both voted for President Trump.
“He’s the only one who can turn the country around-–and the world,” Jan said.
Two other voters, Dwight and Angie Vietzke, had come to the site to cast their ballot for Ms. Haley despite the fact that they were divorced. While he normally leans Democrat, she leans Republican. They met in the middle over their state’s past governor.
While some Trump supporters are shy about sharing their names, Deborah Cusher was not. She stood tall and proud as she explained why she was supporting him.
“He is the only person who lives up to his promises,” she said.
President Trump is expected to defeat Ms. Haley tonight. But the margin of victory is a question. Does she think he’ll score a massive win?
“I’m hoping and praying,” Ms. Cusher said.
—Nathan Worcester
Trump Calls His Storytelling at CPAC ‘Total Genius’
As former President Donald Trump began yet another anecdote, after admitting to going off script at CPAC, he gave his audience a preview of what the media would say about his extra-long speech.
“See, they’ll say, ‘He rambled. He’s cognitively impaired,’” he said. “No, it’s really the opposite. It’s total genius.”
He rejected the notion that he was rambling on endlessly and boring the audience, saying the stories he’s telling are very important.
He also told his audience there’s no cognitive problem. And if there is, “you’ll be the first to know because I will tell you.”
–T.J. Muscaro
Trump Shares ISIS Anecdote
In an off-script anecdote, former President Donald Trump described how the U.S. military defeated the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, under his command.
President Trump, who previously described the military’s top brass as “woke-ified” under the Biden administration, said he consulted with his generals while commander-in-chief on how to defeat the extremist group.
His generals, according to President Trump, recommended bombing campaigns because the Islamic State fighters refused to surrender once surrounded. Instead, President Trump said he advised threatening flyovers in an effort to force the militant group to sue for peace. After that didn’t work, he gave the go-ahead to bomb.
“Isn’t that a great story,” President Trump said. “100 percent of ISIS is gone.”
—Austin Alonzo
Trump Hints Biden Is Too Old and Frail For Office
Later in his remarks, former President Donald Trump made a comedic turn lampooning President Joe Biden.
After a self-effacing anecdote about a military plane ride with a frightful landing, President Trump turned his attention to President Biden, saying the 81-year-old head of state is incapable of finding his way off a stage.
“This is what we have negotiating nuclear weapons,” President Trump said.
Specifically, he said President Biden cannot handle giving a speech more than three or four minutes long. He then made a gesture to point off stage and said President Biden always points, then goes in the opposite direction or trips or walks into a wall.
President Trump, 77, said the U.S. Secret Service has to help the commander-in-chief manage any physical obstacle.
—Austin Alonzo
South Carolina GOP Chair Predicts ‘Huge’ Crossover Numbers
By Janice Hisle
South Carolina GOP Chair Drew McKissick made a surprising prediction Saturday, just hours after he and other voters began casting their ballots in the Republican presidential primary.
“You will see a huge number, if not a majority, of self-identified Democrats who say that they voted for Donald Trump in this primary,” Mr. McKissick told The Epoch Times.
He based that statement on trends he has observed during this election and his 35 years of experience in Palmetto State politics, including seven years as the state GOP chair.
And, by the way, he says: Forget the narrative that the South Carolina primary is ho-hum. Mr. McKissick said the opposite is true–and he’s got the stats to prove it.
Even though the race does seem destined to end in a blowout victory for former President Donald Trump over challenger Nikki Haley, “we’ve got a lot of enthusiasm on our side of the street,” compared to Democrats, Mr. McKissick said.
“They’ve been trying to spin that [story line] for the last four weeks–that nobody’s gonna care and, you know, Donald Trump is running away with it. Well, yeah, he’s running away with it, but apparently people are still enthusiastic.”
The numbers tell the tale.
About 208,000 people early-voted in this year’s primary, about 75,000 people more than the Democrats had for their entire Feb. 3 contest, he said. And that was even before a single vote was counted on the in-person voting day, Feb. 24, Mr. McKissick said.
Republicans had a record turnout in 2016 with 765,000 voters. That was the first year that then-candidate Donald Trump ran for president–and won.
“We’re looking to break that record today,” Mr. McKissick said. “People are excited about the Republican Party, excited about our candidates, excited about President Trump.”
People are engaged because they appreciate “the job that he did” while in the White House, 2017-21, Mr. McKissick said, and they’re also interested in the issues he has advanced. That’s why they turn out to vote for him, Mr. McKissick said.
Mr. McKissick doesn’t know why Ms. Haley would persist if she loses, as predicted.
He noted that South Carolina has long been considered “the graveyard of presidential campaigns.”
That’s for several reasons. Prior to South Carolina’s first-in-the-south primary, there were only a handful of other contests.
After South Carolina, candidates must have sufficient finances and manpower to compete in more than a dozen states all at once. Therefore, the Palmetto State represents a candidate’s last chance to make a good impression on voters and donors before running that gauntlet.
Another reason presidential hopefuls often decide to hang it up after losing in South Carolina: Every successful presidential candidate since 1980 had secured a South Carolina primary win en route to the White House victory.
Trump Vows ‘Largest Deportation’ in History
Former President Donald Trump said his second administration would be marked by the “largest deportation” operation in the history of the United States.
While speaking at CPAC on Saturday, he recounted the hoops he had to jump through during his first term to secure funding for a border wall before President Joe Biden brought construction to a halt on his first day in office.
“We had the rigged election, and they said, ‘We don’t want to. We don’t want to build the wall,’” he noted.
“I said, you know, they really do want [that]—I figured it was maybe just talk. I said, they really want an open border. Nobody could understand that.”
Noting that millions of illegal immigrants have poured into the United States under President Biden, he added: “By the time this guy gets out of office, we’ll have 18 million people, in my opinion, in the country that shouldn’t be here. And they do come from prisons and mental institutions. They are terrorists, and we’re going to be paying a price.”
To fix that problem, he said, his administration will “have no choice” but to begin “the largest deportation in the history of our country.”
—Samantha Flom
Trump: ‘Success Will Be Our Revenge’
Using dramatic language, former President Donald Trump said if he is reelected in November, it will be a “new liberation day.”
“When we win, the curtain closes on their corrupt reign, and the sun rises on a bright new future for America,” President Trump said at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland.
President Trump went on to say the 2024 election could be the country’s “last chance” and that it is a much more significant contest than the 2016 election that thrust him into power.
“Your victory will be our ultimate vindication. Your liberty will be our ultimate reward. And the unprecedented success of the U.S.A. will be my ultimate and absolute revenge. That’s what I want,” President Trump said. “Success will be our revenge.”
—Austin Alonzo
Trump Urges Voters to Tell Biden ‘You’re Fired!’
WASHINGTON—Former President Donald Trump vowed on Saturday that his first move upon reentering the White House will be to secure the U.S. southern border.
Speaking before a crowd of conservatives at CPAC in Washington, President Trump promised to “seal the border, stop the invasion, and send Joe Biden’s illegal aliens back home.”
But there’s something the voters must do first, he said.
“To achieve a great future, we first have to throw off the chains of our out-of-control political class—and that begins with telling Crooked Joe Biden … ‘You’re fired! Get outta here!’”
The former “Apprentice” host’s catchphrase brought the cheering crowd to their feet.
Speaking at CPAC has become an annual tradition for the 45th president since he burst onto the political stage. His remarks on Saturday came as Republicans in South Carolina cast their ballots for their preferred candidate for president.
His CPAC speech reflected that outcome as an inevitability, focusing on the general election in November and his agenda for when—not if—he reclaims the White House.
—Samantha Flom
Trump: I Am a Dissident
During his remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, former President Donald Trump described himself as a “proud political dissident.”
He repeated his oft-used line about being indicted more times than notorious mobster Al Capone. Mr. Capone was a Chicago crime lord during the Prohibition era and died in 1947.
President Trump said he’s been indicted by “this gang of thugs,” referring to the Biden administration as well as others who’ve filed indictments against him “for nothing.” He then used an expletive to emphasize what he considers to be the frivolity of the charges he is facing.
President Trump went on to say the kind of legal tools being used against him are more akin to the actions of “banana republics” than the United States. He said President Joe Biden is a threat to democracy.
“If we don’t stop this, this is it,” President Trump said. “This is our last train. We won’t even be a country.”
Speaking about his impeachment battles while in office, President Trump said the latest round of indictments he faces means that “the gloves have to come off.”
—Austin Alonzo
Trump: Biden’s a ‘Threat to Democracy’
WASHINGTON—Former President Donald Trump warned Saturday that a second term of President Joe Biden would be disastrous for the United States.
“Four years ago, I told you that if Crooked Joe Biden got to the White House, our borders would be abolished, our middle class would be decimated, and our communities would be plagued by bloodshed, chaos, and violent crime. We were right about everything,” President Trump told attendees of CPAC in Washington.
And if President Biden is reelected, he said, “the worst is yet to come.”
Pointing to the crisis at the southern border, the former president said that if allowed to continue, the situation would “collapse” the U.S. economy along with Medicare, Social Security, and public education. He also held that President Biden would launch the nation into World War III.
“A vote for Trump is your ticket back to freedom,” he said. “It’s your passport out of tyranny, and it’s your only escape from Joe Biden and his gang’s fast-track to hell. And in many ways, we’re living in hell right now because the fact is, Joe Biden is a threat to democracy.”
—Samantha Flom
Trump: Javier Milei is MAGA, Make Argentina Great Again
Former President Donald Trump said Argentine President Javier Milei is MAGA—Make Argentina Great Again.
Arriving at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) nearly an hour behind his scheduled time, President Trump began his remarks by saying he wouldn’t miss the annual event even if it meant missing out on last-minute campaigning in the presidential primary in South Carolina, too.
President Trump hailed a “tremendous group of dignitaries” assembled in National Harbor, Maryland, for the summit, giving particular attention to Mr. Milei. Elected to the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires in October 2023, he assumed leadership of the South American country in December.
Mr. Milei is pushing for numerous financial reforms in Argentina. The country has frequently been economically and politically unstable since it emerged from a lengthy military dictatorship in 1983.
President Trump called Mr. Milei a “great gentleman.”
–Austin Alonzo
Trump Takes the Stage at CPAC
An hour behind schedule, former President Donald Trump has taken the stage to a packed crowd at the main ballroom at CPAC.
The audience chanted “USA! USA! USA!” as he took the podium.
President Trump complimented the hosting organization, calling CPAC a “group of people with common sense.”
—Cathy He
Haley Dismisses Worries Democrats Voting for Her Will Taint South Carolina Data
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley dismissed concerns that crossover votes cast for her in the primary will taint Republican election data.
“It’s that mindset that keeps Republicans losing,” she told The Epoch Times after voting on Kiawah Island, a wealthy gated island south of Charleston, where she lives.
“We have got to start bringing people into the fold.”
“When you go to my rallies, when you go to my events, you see everybody there. You see young, old, you see every race, you see every gender, you see Republicans, independents, and conservative Democrats,” Ms. Haley said.
“South Carolina is going to be horribly tainted,” he said, predicting that analysts would need “a cycle, at least, to screen them out again.”
—Nathan Worcester
Kari Lake: We Have Eight and a Half Months to Save America
Kari Lake, a Republican running for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (I-Ariz.) seat, said it’s time for America to unite behind former President Donald Trump.
In brief remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, Ms. Lake, who ran for governor in Arizona in 2022 and narrowly lost to Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, said the “radical left” and “propagandists” in the mass media are terrified of another Trump administration.
Ms. Lake, who worked in local broadcast news from 1991 until 2021, said she was happy to see rounds of layoffs affecting the media in 2024. To her, she said, it’s evidence that “nobody is reading their garbage anymore.”
“Once your fake news operations collapse,” Ms. Lake said, motioning to the media assembled at the event. “Maybe you can learn to code.”
The candidate then transitioned to her ambitions for the Arizona Senate seat up for election in 2024. She said the Grand Canyon State is now controlled by “narco-terrorist cartels” and has become a hub for drug and human trafficking.
She said President Trump and herself are intent on launching the largest repatriation campaign in American history.
“Foreign armies must go back to their homeland,” Ms. Lake said.
In the Senate, Ms. Lake said she would be intent on breaking Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) control of the upper house and his efforts to thwart President Trump’s so-called America First agenda.
Ms. Lake also described an attempted bribe, where some told her “powerful people back East” wanted to see her out of politics entirely. She said it’s time for America to have some powerful people back East working for them instead of for Wall Street, the pharmaceutical industry, and the “military-industrial complex.”
Finally, she said America First must be willing to accept the support of independents and disaffected Democrats who no longer recognize their party.
“If you love secure borders, peace, and prosperity, you are America First, and you just don’t know it,” Ms. Lake said.
She ended her speech by saying God is on her side and that both she and President Trump need more support to complete their mission.
–Austin Alonzo
Nikki Haley Votes
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C.—Nikki Haley has arrived at the polling station on the wealthy Kiawah Island to cast her ballot in the Republican presidential primary.
The island, where Ms. Haley resides, is a gated semi-private property dotted with luxury beachfront homes nestled in lush subtropical foliage.
—Ivan Pentchoukov
Epoch Times’ Jan Jekielek Speaks at CPAC
DNC Mocks Trump’s Sneakers Ahead of CPAC Speech
CPAC attendees eagerly anticipating former President Donald Trump’s arrival at the annual event were greeted on Saturday by mobile billboards mocking his latest business venture.
“I came to CPAC and all I got were Donald Trump’s trash sneakers,” read the billboards, paid for by the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
The billboard trucks began their rounds outside the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at 9:30 a.m. and were slated to continue their circuit until 5:30 p.m., when CPAC will host a South Carolina primary watch party.
President Trump is slated to address attendees at 1 p.m.
“Donald Trump wants to be a dictator on Day 1, and we’re already seeing him walk his tacky bootleg sneakers all over the American people,” DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd said in a statement.
“Trump is summoning his MAGA base to CPAC to double down on his losing agenda of banning abortion nationwide, abandoning our allies, and threatening Americans’ health care coverage,” Mr. Floyd said. “Trump is hiding in his MAGA bubble today, but the shoe will be on the other foot in November when the American people soundly reject his extreme and unpopular agenda.”
—Samantha Flom
Mike Lindell Pushes For Paper Ballots
Mike Lindell wants to see the entire country transition to voting on the same day using paper ballots, and he wants help to achieve that goal.
In brief remarks at CPAC in Washington, Mr. Lindell, a conservative activist and the CEO of Minnesota manufacturer My Pillow Inc., detailed his personal mission to remove electronic voting machines.
“Anyone who tells you to vote early is wrong,” Mr. Lindell said. “Voting the same day makes it harder to cheat.”
The Republican National Committee is currently pursuing a so-called Bank Your Vote initiative to push its voters to either cast absentee ballots or vote early when possible. The potential new leadership of the party committee has promised to continue the early voting drive, too.
Mr. Lindell’s goal, he said, was to get as many as 300,000 activists working to push every county in the country to go to paper balloting. He wants to see the crusade in full swing by the end of March or the beginning of April, ahead of the 2024 general election. He asked for supporters, and their financial resources, to rally to his cause.
—Austin Alonzo
Haley to Head to the Polls for Crucial Home State Primary
The South Carolina Republican presidential primary presents the biggest test yet for the viability of former Gov. Nikki Haley’s campaign.
A win could change the trajectory of the race. A loss would only further solidify former President Donald Trump’s status as the presumptive nominee.
Regardless of the outcome, Ms. Haley has promised to stay in the fight. And at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, she will pull up outside of her local polling place on Kiawah Island and cast her vote in defiance of her critics.
“This has never just been about who can win a Republican primary. This battle is about who can win in November, defeat the Democrats, and finally get our country back on track,” Haley campaign manager Betsy Ankeny told reporters on Friday.
“We know the odds here, but we also know the stakes, and we think that a whole lot of Republicans across the country do too. And so, we are placing our faith in the American people.”
—Samantha Flom
Trump Looks To Secure 4th State in South Carolina
Nikki Haley says she will keep campaigning despite the results of the South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary, but her hopes for winning the nomination will continue to dim with another loss to former President Donald Trump.
According to various major polls, President Trump holds a commanding 30 percent advantage over the former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. If these polls are accurate, the 45th president would win his fourth straight primary contest.
President Trump won the New Hampshire primary and the Republican Party of Iowa’s Caucus in January. In February, he prevailed in the Nevada contests. He’s already knocked out most of the major challengers in the GOP field and now the former South Carolina governor is his sole obstacle to winning a third nomination.
On Tuesday, Ms. Haley held an emotional press conference where she reiterated her desire to stay in the race as long as possible. The candidate, from Bamberg, South Carolina, has spent much of her time in the Palmetto State since coming up short in New Hampshire.
President Trump, still caught up in court battles and with eyes firmly on the 2024 general election, has spent less time in the state.
On Feb. 23, he spoke at the Black Conservative Federation Honors Gala in Columbia, South Carolina. Today, he will speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington.
President Trump is also promoting a plan that would put figures loyal to him in charge of the Republican National Committee. Current Chair Ronna McDaniel has said she will decide on her future with the party committee after South Carolina votes.
Most of the major political figures in South Carolina are endorsing President Trump. The state’s governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and both of its senators are behind the GOP frontrunner.
South Carolina is home to a so-called open primary, meaning independent and Democrat voters can vote in the Republican contest. Voters looking to oppose President Trump may well throw their support behind Ms. Haley
Early voting figures show there should be a good turnout for the South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary. There was decidedly less interest in the Democratic Party version of the contest earlier this month, which President Joe Biden won easily.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. Eastern.
—Austin Alonzo
Trump, Milei to Address CPAC
Several political heavyweights are slated to address attendees on the final day of the 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington.
Highlights to tune in for:
8:35 a.m.: “#WalkAway” with #WalkAway founder Brandon Straka
10:20 a.m.: “MyVote” with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell
11 a.m.: “The Good Doctors” with Epoch Times Senior Editor Jan Jekielek and Drs. Robert Malone and Brooke Miller
11:25 a.m.: Kari Lake, candidate for U.S. Senate
1 p.m.: former President Donald Trump
2:55 p.m.: Argentina President Javier Milei
3:50 p.m.: “Ramaswamy Unplugged” with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy
4:25 p.m.: Steve Bannon, host of “War Room”
—Samantha Flom
Original News Source Link – Epoch Times
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