Nikki Haley suspends 2024 presidential campaign: Election live updates

Nikki Haley drops out of 2024 presidential race

Nikki Haley has suspended her campaign for the Republican presidential race after a disappointing performance in Super Tuesday.

While she managed to beat Donald Trump in Vermont’s GOP primary, a surprise on what was otherwise a dominant night for the front-runner in which he won a further 14 primaries, including such large states as California and Texas.

The former UN ambassador addressed supporters in South Carolina on Wednesday morning saying she had “no regrets” about her campaign but did not offer an endorsement of the former president.

Declaring victory at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida on Tuesday night, Mr Trump said: “They call it Super Tuesday for a reason. This is a big one.

“They tell me the pundits and otherwise that there’s never been one like this… has never been anything so conclusive.”

As it stands, Mr Trump looks all but certain to be the Republican Party’s presidential candidate having already chalked up big wins in all of the sates prior to Super Tuesday.

President Joe Biden also dominated the Democratic race as expected but there was an upset in the US territory of American Samoa, where he was beaten by little-known entrepreneur Jason Palmer.

After Nikki Haley’s departure from the 2024 Republican presidential primary, outgoing Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell endorsed former President Donald Trump for a second term.

“It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States,” he said.

While Mr McConnell’s relationship with Mr Trump has deteriorated significantly, the senate leader was always expected to back the eventual Republican nominee.

Cont