In an outcome that will surprise no one, Trump has secured a resounding victory in South Carolina over his last opponent standing in the race for the GOP nomination.
As the votes are counted, it looks like Trump will end up with a twenty-point gap between him and his former ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley.
Haley’s loss in her home state makes her path to the nomination even less likely (not that Cockburn believes it ever was).
Though the final gap will end up being large, Haley was able to close the gap considerably from where she was polling at just a few weeks ago, when many polls showed Trump with a forty-point lead.
Super Tuesday now looks to be her final stand as she tries make her case. Though she’s unlikely to pick up any states, Cockburn notes that many of his sources don’t see a reason for her to get out of the race until the convention.
With Trump’s mounting legal issues and cash flow problems, it’s clear he’s being distracted from the race and Haley has nothing to lose by staying in until the convention (other than other people’s money). Could being the last person standing pay off and make her the de facto candidate if Trump had to drop out?
