Donald Trump will approach the threshold for a third Republican presidential nomination this week as millions of Americans head to the polls on “Super Tuesday” — a key milestone in his party's lopsided 2024 race for the White House.
Typically the most important part of the campaign before the election, Super Tuesday decides the Republican and Democratic primaries in the huge states of California and Texas, as well as more than a dozen other battleground states.
But the usual drama will be largely absent this year, with the door expected to be firmly closed for Trump's only remaining challenger, Nikki Haley, and clearing the way for a repeat of her 2020 match-up with Joe Biden.
The president is virtually unopposed in the Democratic contest and will try to maintain an unassailable lead against two single-digit challengers.
Haley lost by wide margins in early nominating states, and pundits give her little chance of catching up to Trump, who claims his opponent has “no traction” and will lose every Super Tuesday state.
“If every single conservative, Republican and Trump supporter in these states comes to Super Tuesday, we will be very close to ending this primary contest,” Trump said in a campaign message ahead of the big vote.
“Then Republicans will be able to focus all of their energy, time and resources on defeating Crooked Joe Biden, the worst president in our country’s history.”
Fifteen states and one territory — American Samoa — make Tuesday's map, and hopefuls could get 70 percent of the delegates they need to nominate the presumptive nominee.
Trump cannot end the contest that night, but he hopes to be inaugurated by March 19.