The 2024 Republican presidential primary ends Tuesday, not with a bang but with a whimper.
As Republican voters head to the polls in Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota, the only question is how many people will cast their ballots against presumptive nominee Donald Trump.
Despite overwhelming his opponents in the first few primaries, Trump has faced a persistent percentage of Republican voters who cast their ballots for another Republican.
Tuesday’s primaries will also be the only chance for Republican voters to have their say before November, as Trump was found guilty of 34 felonies for falsifying company records to cover up a hush money payment to an adult film actor.
If you weren’t aware of the primaries, you’re not alone, especially since Trump officially became the presumptive Republican nominee on March 12. An additional factor in these primaries is that Trump has no opposition, so there is nothing to report. in New Jersey or South Dakota.
In Montana, Trump is the only candidate on the Republican ballot, with the only other options being “no preference” or registering a candidate. New Mexico will vote for Trump, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and an “uncommitted” option, among others.
Although Haley officially dropped out of the race in March, her name continued to appear on primary ballots and she received a fair percentage of the vote, ranging from 10% to 22%.
It won’t be a surprise that the trend continues Tuesday night, but it’s well past time to stop calling them Haley voters and call these voters exactly what they are: anti-Trump voters. Most importantly, don’t assume that these anti-Trump voters in the spring will automatically be Biden supporters in the fall.
It’s one thing to cast a protest vote against Trump in a pointless battle. But for a card-carrying Republican, it’s quite another to vote for President Joe Biden when push comes to shove.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
