Biden-Trump rematch nearer

Donald Trump’s overwhelming victory over Nikki Haley in South Carolina’s Republican presidential primary brings closer the nightmare prospect of an unwanted rerun of the geriatric race between him and Joe Biden for the White House in November. While her 60-39 per cent defeat was not what she wanted in a state where she served as governor for two terms, Ms Haley is right to reject Mr Trump’s demand that she throw in the towel and hand him the nomination. Promising to stay in the race until at least after March 5, when 15 states hold Super Tuesday contests that award a third of Republican delegates, she said: “We don’t anoint kings in this country. We have elections. And Donald Trump, of all people, should know we don’t rig elections.”

Ms Haley’s prospects of snatching the nomination away from Mr Trump are now infinitesimal. But with her sound common sense and geopolitical smarts, she should be in no rush to abandon the battlefield. Mr Trump’s big win does not change the reality of polls showing 70 per cent of Americans do not want a Biden-Trump rematch; 60 per cent think both are too old – Mr Trump is 77, Mr Biden 81. Added to that are the 91 charges that could potentially send the former president to jail. Polling shows Republicans could change their minds if he is convicted in any one of the four criminal cases.

Ms Haley could not beat the MAGA tide running in South Carolina. But she has offered a sensible, coherent alternative to Mr Trump. She insists Mr Trump is “the only Republican Biden can beat”. That remains to be seen. As to the implausible inevitability of Mr Trump taking on Mr Biden – who, however doddery, is on track to be the Democratic nominee – Ms Haley was speaking for many Americans and US allies when she said: “Neither is up to the job … That’s not what you want in the Oval Office when Russia launches a nuclear weapon at our satellites, or China shuts down our electricity grid. We’re talking about the most demanding job in human history.”