Former President Donald Trump has scored a major victory in Michigan’s Republican primary, trouncing his nearest rival Nikki Haley. The race marks the fifth state taken by Trump, who has notched up several easy wins over a shrinking GOP field.
With around 50% of the ballots counted on Tuesday night, Trump had received more than 67% of the vote, defeating Haley’s 27% in a landslide. The Associated Press called the race for the ex-president around 9pm local time, after Trump took an early lead in major counties such as Oakland.
Speaking after he was projected the likely victor, Trump said if “we win Michigan, we win the whole thing,” going on to slam Democrats for having “destroyed the auto working business” in the state, according to his campaign.
Trump’s success in Michigan follows similar showings in every Republican race so far, including in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and even Haley’s home state of South Carolina, where she previously served as governor.
Biden secured a similarly commanding win in Michigan’s Democratic primary on Tuesday, receiving just over 80% of the vote with 43% of ballots tallied, far ahead of competitors Marianne Williamson (3%) and Dean Phillips (2.8%). However, the president faced a backlash from within his own party, as thousands of Michigan Democrats voted “Uncommitted” in an apparent protest over Biden’s policies – scoring second place behind Biden himself.
Michigan features the country’s largest Arab-American community, centered on the city of Dearborn, where local party activists have strongly condemned Biden’s support for Israel amid its months-long war in Gaza.
“We are using this opportunity as a means to send a message,” said Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, who voted “Uncommitted” and had previously refused to meet with Biden due to his stance on Israel.
Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American, also said she was “proud” to vote “Uncommitted,” adding “When 74 percent of Democrats in Michigan support a cease-fire [in Gaza], yet President Biden is not hearing us, this is the way we can use our democracy to say ‘listen.’”
Tlaib has repeatedly slammed Israel’s operation in Gaza and accused Biden of supporting “the genocide of the Palestinian people,” echoing criticisms from her party’s progressive wing. According to local health officials, nearly 30,000 Gazans have been killed in the Israeli bombardment, which was launched in response to a deadly Hamas terrorist attack last October. More than 1,100 people in Israel lost their lives in the surprise assault, while around 250 were taken hostage by Palestinian fighters.