PRESIDENT Joe Biden has taken aim at Donald Trump in his first statement since winning the New Hampshire primary despite his name not appearing on the ballot.
Longshot Democratic candidates attempted to capitalize on Biden‘s absence from the ballot but to no avail, as the president came out victorious with write-in votes.
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Biden was declared the winner based on an analysis of initial vote returns by the Associated Press where write-in votes have been tabulated by candidate.
Biden had roughly 67% of the votes as of 12:50 am according to NBC News‘ tally with votes still being counted.
Phillips had 19% and Williamson had less than 4%.
This is the first time a White House incumbent has not appeared on the primary ballot of their party in New Hampshire.
“I want to thank all those who wrote my name in this evening in New Hampshire. It was a historic demonstration of commitment to our democratic process,” Biden said in a statement.
Former president Trump has been declared the winner of the New Hampshire Republican primary, beating former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.
Biden’s campaign blasted Trump’s win in a statement on Tuesday night, writing, “Tonight’s results confirm Donald Trump has all but locked up the GOP nomination, and the election denying, anti-freedom MAGA movement has completed its takeover of the Republican Party.
“Trump is offering Americans the same extreme agenda that has cost Republicans election after election: promising to undermine American democracy, reward the wealthy on the backs of the middle class, and ban abortion nationwide.”
The president’s campaign went on to say that Biden sees things differently and is fighting to grow the economy for the middle class, strengthen our democracy, and protect the rights of Americans.
The statement concluded, “One thing is increasingly clear today: Donald Trump is headed straight into a general election matchup where he’ll face the only person to have ever beaten him at the ballot box: Joe Biden.”
PRIMARY SHAKEUP
Democrats changed their primary scheduled for 2024, stripping New Hampshire of their roughly two dozen delegates after branding the primary there pointless due to its track record of not picking the eventual nominee.
In its history, New Hampshire has only once correctly picked the eventual nominee, John Kerry, in 2004.
Democrats chose South Carolina as their first primary state because there are more Black voters than in mostly-White Iowa or New Hampshire.
The Granite State was supposed to go second alongside Nevada, then Michigan.
Biden’s team sided with the Democratic party over New Hampshire and decided long ago not to compete there.
“While the president wishes to participate in the Primary, he is obligated as a Democratic candidate for president to comply [with party rules],” Biden’s campaign manager told New Hampshire Democrats.
However, Biden’s far-fetched challengers, Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson, decided to compete, forcing New Hampshire Democratic Party leaders to organize a campaign in the state.
The leaders organized a campaign to educate voters on how to write in Biden’s name under the other candidates’ names on the ballot.
Biden’s allies’ main goal was to avoid the potential of an embarrassing defeat to Phillips or Williamson.
Biden was campaigning in Virginia today, where he was interrupted by at least a dozen Gaza protestors while promoting his pro-choice initiative, “Restore Roe.”
Read more on the Scottish Sun
In between Biden’s remarks on abortion, protestors shouted, “Ceasefire now,” “Genocide Joe,” and other insults over his support for Israel and its assault on Gaza.
After campaigning in Virginia, Biden is now back at the White House with his wife, Jill.
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