(COLUMBIA) Former President Donald Trump continued his march toward the Republican nomination on Saturday, winning the Missouri caucuses and winning the majority of delegates at the party convention in Michigan. Idaho Republicans plan to meet later.
Former UN ambassador and his last major rival, Nikki Haley, was still eyeing her first election victory.
The next event on the Republican calendar is Sunday in the District of Columbia. Two days later is “Super Tuesday,” where 16 states will hold primaries on what is the biggest voting day of the year outside of the November election. Trump will clinch the nomination days later.
Difficulties faced by Mme Haley's faces were highlighted in Columbia, Missouri, where Republicans gathered for a rally at a church.
Seth Christensen took the stage and called for M to voteme Haley. It was not well received.
Another caucus attendee asked the audience, “Are you a Republican?” “.
An organizer calmed the crowd and Mr. Christensen concluded his speech. Mme Haley won only 37 of the 263 Republican contests in Boone County.
Michigan Republicans began awarding 39 of the state's 55 presidential delegates at their convention in Grand Rapids. Trump won all 39 reserved delegates.
However, a significant portion of the party's base missed the rally due to the lingering effects of the months-long conflict over the party's leadership.
Trump won last Tuesday's Michigan primary with 68% of the vote, compared to 27% for M.me Haley.
Michigan Republicans broke national Republican Party rules and were forced to split their delegate allocation in two after Democrats, who control state government, moved Michigan to early primary states.
In Missouri, voters lined up outside a church in Columbia, home of the University of Missouri. Once inside, calls from supporters of the candidates were heard.
“Every 100 days we're spending 1 trillion, and the money is moving around the world. Illegal immigrants are running across the border,” Tom Mendel, a pro-Trump voter in 2016 and 2020, told the crowd. He then added: “You know where Donald Trump stands on these issues.”
Mr Christensen, a 31-year-old Colombian who came to the caucus with his wife and three children aged seven, five and two, later urged Republicans to take a new direction.
“I don't need to hear about Mr. Trump's alliances with people of unsavory character, and neither do my kids,” Mr. Trump said. Christensen told the room. If we put this man in power, this is what we are going to hear all the time. I'm done with it. ยป
Supporters of Trump or Mr.me Haley. After choosing their sides there was little debate among the caucus participants.
This year is the first test of the new system, which is run almost entirely by volunteers within the Republican Party.
The elections were held after Republican Gov. Mike Parson signed the 2022 law canceling the March 12 presidential election.
Despite calls from the state's Republican and Democratic leaders, lawmakers failed to reinstate the primaries. Democrats will hold a party primary on March 23.
Trump won twice under Missouri's old presidential primary system.
