5 Takeaways From Trump’s March 2 Triumphs

Trump sweeps up 3 GOP caucus victories days before Super Tuesday as he edges toward the nomination.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Va., on March 2, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.—Republicans across the United States are picking former President Donald Trump to lead them.

March 2 marked another series of electoral victories for the former president in his quest to secure the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. Some dramatically illustrated just how popular he is with both the base and Republican caucusgoers at the junction between the grassroots and the establishment.

He triumphed in Missouri, Michigan, and Idaho, capturing all the delegates at stake that day and setting the stage for more key races on this week’s Super Tuesday.

As President Trump’s lead grows, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley faces tougher delegate math than ever—even as one ongoing contest could work out in her favor.

‘Show Me State’ Shows Trump Deep Loyalty

President Trump won Missouri’s Republican caucus, held in Clay County, with 100 percent of the vote in all 114 of the state’s counties. The Associated Press called the race for President Trump at 11:40 a.m. local time.

That means all 51 delegates from the state to the Republican National Convention (RNC) will go to him.

“THANK YOU, MISSOURI,” President Trump posted on Truth Social.

“Missouri Republicans have spoken loud and clear today, affirming their trust in President Trump’s leadership,” Missouri Republican Party Chairman Nick Myers said in a statement on the outcome.

In Missouri, as elsewhere, major Republican politicians have thrown in with the all-but-presumptive nominee. That includes Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), who, almost two years after President Trump ambiguously endorsed “Eric” in his race against Eric Greitens, spoke on the president’s behalf on March 2.

Warring Michigan Republicans Come Together for Trump

Elsewhere in the Great Midwest, Michigan’s Republican Party has been riven by conflict over who’s in charge.

The main convention in Grand Rapids, led by party chair Pete Hoekstra, nearly faced competition from a rival Detroit event headed by Kristina Karamo, who has contended that her removal as party chair in a January vote was improper.

Yet a judge recently ruled in favor of Mr. Hoekstra, the man endorsed by President Trump, and Ms. Karamo canceled that planned convention. Other splinter events in the state received comparatively little attention as March 2 wore on.

The big story was another extremely strong showing for President Trump in all 13 districts at stake in Grand Rapids.

By roughly 3 p.m. New York time, the unofficial tally showed him way ahead of Ms. Haley in every single one, with 100 percent of the vote in a few. That included the Ninth District, which had a protracted meeting marked by conflict against the backdrop of the state GOP leadership battle.

Once certified, the results should mean all remaining 39 Michigan delegates go to President Trump. Twelve of 16 delegates at stake in Michigan’s primary late last month went to him, and the remainder went to Ms. Haley.

“We need to come together or we’re not going to win,” David Schell, a Republican from the the North Oakland Republican Club, told The Epoch Times.

A Strong MAGA Signal from Idaho

President Trump’s third big victory of the day came from the Mountain West.

He repeated a 2020 feat by winning Idaho’s Republican presidential caucus, held in lieu of its primary after lawmakers canceled that event without rescheduling it.

The Associated Press’s projection came in just before 7 p.m. New York time, soon after the president took the stage at a rally in Richmond, Virginia.

With 77 percent of the vote counted, almost 85 percent of Republican voters chose President Trump, while 13.5 percent chose Ms. Haley. All 32 of the state’s delegates to the RNC must go to President Trump.

Notably, President Trump’s March 2 caucus wins have been substantially bigger than his victories in Michigan, South Carolina, and New Hampshire, where he triumphed in more open primaries that throw up fewer obstacles to crossover voting by Democrats or liberal-leaning independents.

DC and North Dakota

Ms. Haley might have an easier time in the Washington, D.C., Republican primary, which began on March 1 and ends on the evening of March 3.

The former United Nations ambassador came to the heavily Democratic city to speak on March 1, holding an event at the Madison Hotel, the sole venue where would-be primary voters can cast their ballots. Her appearances drew listeners from nearby states.

After the District of Columbia’s primary is finished, the local GOP will dole out its 19 delegates on a proportional basis.

The contest is also closed. Only individuals who registered as Republicans by Feb. 16, 2024, can participate.

Another coming contest, North Dakota’s March 4 Republican primary, may be less fertile ground for Ms. Haley, if the results out of Idaho, Missouri, and Michigan are any indication.

Both of that state’s Republican senators, Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven, have endorsed President Trump.

Super Tuesday Looms

The past few days have been merely the appetizer before the main course: Super Tuesday, which may be Ms. Haley’s last stand against the former president.

Republican caucuses and primaries will take place that day in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia. Democrats will hold contests in all those states except Alaska and in American Samoa. In addition, the results of Iowa’s mail-in presidential primary, which started in January, will finally be tallied.

Out of the 2,429 Republican delegates to the RNC, 854 will be decided on Super Tuesday—about 35 percent. A roughly comparable percentage of Democratic delegates will be awarded based on the results that day also.

Although President Trump cannot secure a majority of delegates on Super Tuesday, he could rack up an even more commanding lead over Ms. Haley, particularly in the many states that are winner-take-all, either for any winning result or above a certain threshold. With those factors in mind, the map looks good for President Trump, and he appears set to become the nominee later this month.