Biden and Trump win Ohio primaries as Republicans battle for US Senate nomination in Buckeye state: Live
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President Joe Biden and Donald Trump both inched closer to their respective party conventions on Tuesday after winning their Ohio primaries.
The primaries were called for both men by The Associated Press shortly after 7.30pm local time.
Both Republican and Democratic primaries are taking place in the Buckeye State, with all eyes on the GOP senate race, set to place Mr Trump’s endorsement power under fresh scrutiny as the presidential candidate’s pick, former car salesman Bernie Moreno, comes up against a pair of party establishment rivals for the chance to challenge Democrat Sherrod Brown.
Mr Moreno was annointed by Mr Trump as his MAGA representative in the contest but faces stiff competition from state senator Matt Dolan and secretary of state Frank LaRose.
The Republican presidential nominee hailed Mr Moreno as a “fantastic guy” during a 90-minute address at the Dayton Air Show on Saturday and laid into Mr Dolan, whom he labelled a “RINO” (Republican in Name Only) and “the next Mitt Romney”.
Trump wins Florida primary after voting for himself
The Associated Press has called the Florida primary in favour of Donald Trump.
The former president, himself a Florida voter, cast his ballot at a recreation center in Palm Beach on Tuesday and told reporters, “I voted for Donald Trump.”
(AP)
Mike Bedigan20 March 2024 00:16
Frank LaRose still ‘confident’ of pulling ahead in Ohio
Ohio’s secretary of state Frank LaRose still remains “confident” of victory in the state senate race, despite current polling showing him lagging behind his competitors – Trump-endorsed car salesman Brian Moreno, and Ohio state senator Matt Dolan.
“We’re still confident that as the results fully come in we will see battle-tested Frank LaRose pull ahead,” a LaRose campaign official told The Independent.
Mike Bedigan20 March 2024 00:10
Biden re-election campaign already begun amid Ohio primary win
Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have already begun campaigning for re-election in earnest, as the president scooped another primary win in Ohio on Tuesday.
Ms Harris last week became the first sitting or former vice president to vist and deliver remarks from an abortion clinic as the Democratic Party prepares to make reproductive rights a major talking point of their 2024 effort.
Like his rival Donald Trump, Mr Biden’s wins from here on out are purely ceremonial, and he will expect to be officially recognised at the Democratic National Convention in August.
(AFP via Getty Images)
Mike Bedigan20 March 2024 00:06
Joe Biden wins the Democratic presidential primary in Ohio
The Associated Press has called the Democratic presidential primary in Ohio in favour of Joe Biden.
Mike Bedigan19 March 2024 23:55
Trump inches closer to GOP convention with win in Ohio
Former president Trump’s win in Ohio inches him closer to the GOP party convention.
His win on Tuesday and going forward will be purely ceremonial, as the 2024 election will almost certainly be a rematch of the 2020 election between him and Joe Biden. Mr Trump continues to rail against Democrats for the multitude of legal challenges he now faces. He appeared in Dayton, Ohio on Saturday for a last-minute rally to boost his endorsed Senate candidate to victory in the state primary; Bernie Moreno headed into the night leading his closest opponent, state Senator Matt Dolan, by a close margin.
At his rally, Mr Trump delivered some of his most dehumanising remarks so far, as he labeled his political opponents “not people” in some cases. He also sparked a national media cycle with his prediction of a “bloodbath” in 2025 and beyond if Mr Biden is re-elected: his campaign has maintained that he was speaking metaphorically about the economy.
Mike Bedigan19 March 2024 23:54
Donald Trump wins the Republican presidential primary in Ohio
The Associated Press has called the Republican presidential primary in Ohio in favour of Donald Trump.
Mike Bedigan19 March 2024 23:50
Former GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy endorses Trump and Moreno
Mike Bedigan19 March 2024 23:45
As will soon close, here’s a reminder of why Ohio’s Republican Senate primary matters
The Independent’s John Bowden reports from on the ground in the Buckeye State:
Oliver O’Connell19 March 2024 23:15
RFK Jr approached motivational speaker Tony Robbins for Veep spot
Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr initially approached motivational speaker Tony Robbins to be his running mate, but the proposition was politely declined.
Gustaf Kilander has the story:
Oliver O’Connell19 March 2024 22:45
Biden administration planning failures led to chaos as Kabul fell say generals
The top two U.S. generals who oversaw the evacuation of Afghanistan as it fell to the Taliban in August 2021 blamed the Biden administration for the chaotic departure, telling lawmakers Tuesday that it inadequately planned for the evacuation and did not order it in time.
The rare testimony by the two retired generals publicly exposed for the first time the strain and differences the military leaders had with the Biden administration in the final days of the war. Two of those key differences included that the military had advised that the U.S. keep at least 2,500 service members in Afghanistan to maintain stability and a concern that the State Department was not moving fast enough to get an evacuation started.
