Nikki Haley vows to fight on despite humiliating defeat to Donald Trump in South Carolina

Nikki Haley told supporters she would not give up in her battle to win the White House – REUTERS

Nikki Haley has vowed to fight on in the Republican primary race despite a humiliating loss to Donald Trump in her home state of South Carolina.

Mr Trump beat Ms Haley, the state’s former governor, by around 20 points in Saturday’s vote – extending his early lead in Iowa and New Hampshire.

With 90 per cent of the votes counted, Ms Haley has not won a single delegate in the state, with some analysts projecting Mr Trump could pick up all 50.

The result makes it all but certain that Mr Trump will secure the GOP nomination this summer, and puts Ms Haley’s campaign in a precarious position ahead of the slew of primary votes on March 5.

However, in a speech to supporters in Charleston, Ms Haley said her presidential bid was “never about me or my political future” and pledged to provide an “alternative” to Mr Trump.

As early results suggested she had received the support of around 40 per cent of Republicans in the state, compared with Mr Trump’s 60 per cent, she said:  “I’m an accountant. I know 40 per cent is not 50 per cent.

“But I also know 40 per cent is not some tiny group. There are huge numbers of voters in our Republican primaries who are saying they want an alternative.”

Voters want a choice, Haley insists

She added that Republican voters had a “right to a real choice, not a Soviet-style election with only one candidate, and I have a duty to give them that choice”.

“I said earlier this week that no matter what happens in South Carolina, I would continue to run for President,” she said.

“I’m a woman of my word. I’m not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden.”

A defeat in a candidate’s home state is considered embarrassing, with most contenders expecting the support of their own party’s voters and local party grandees.

However, Mr Trump received the backing of both of South Carolina’s senators, Lindsay Graham and Tim Scott, and the state’s governor, Henry McMaster.

Donald Trump on stage with Tim Scott and Lindsay Graham on Saturday night – AP

In a speech shortly after polls closed, the former president thanked his supporters and declined to mention Ms Haley by name as he celebrated his victory.

He instead attacked Joe Biden, who he said he would fire like a contestant on The Apprentice, and declared that this year’s presidential election would be “the most important date perhaps in the history of our country”.

“We have a country that is a failing nation, but we’re not going to have a failing nation very long,” he said.

“We are not going to allow this to happen. We love our country. We love it dearly. We’re going to fight for our country.”

Five straight wins for the Trump juggernaut

The South Carolina result is Mr Trump’s fifth consecutive victory, after wins in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and the US Virgin Islands.

He said he had “set a record” in every state so far, and compared his victories to “the most hits in baseball” or “the most touchdowns in football”.

Ms Haley’s decision to fight on despite her slim odds in the Republican contest drew speculation that she intends to run as an independent candidate in this year’s election, under the “No Labels” campaign banner used by some centrists.

She has previously denied that she would run for president on another ticket than the Republican Party.

A Fox News exit poll from South Carolina suggested Mr Trump had the most support among traditional groups, including voters that describe themselves as “very conservative”, “rural” and “white evangelical”.

However, he also had the support of the majority of women and veteran voters, who have been targeted by Ms Haley.

Nationally, polling averages suggest Mr Trump has the support of around 77 per cent of Republicans, compared with 15 per cent who support Ms Haley.

South Carolina’s primary allocates 50 delegates to the Republican National Convention, which will take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in July.

Mr Trump’s campaign has said it believes he will have enough delegates to win the contest in the next two weeks, rendering the rest of the primary race largely irrelevant.

Mr Trump and Ms Haley will now continue their campaigns in the remaining primary states.

Republicans in Michigan, the next state to vote, will cast their ballots on February 27, before sixteen states choose their preferred nominee on “Super Tuesday” on March 5.

“We’re headed to Michigan tomorrow, and we’re headed to the Super Tuesday states throughout all of next week,” Ms Haley said on Saturday.

“We’ll keep fighting for America—and we won’t rest until America wins.”

03:07 AM GMT

That’s all for today

Thanks for following our live coverage of the Republican South Carolina primary. This live blog is now closed.

Key moments from today include:

• Donald Trump defeated Nikki Haley in her home state as he continues his march towards the Republican presidential nomination
• Mr Trump claimed to have “set a record so far in every single [state]” as he addressed supporters just minutes after polls closed
• Tim Scott, a potential running mate on Mr Trump’s ticket, was lauded by the Republican frontrunner as a “dynamo” and “unbelievable”
• Ms Haley vowed to fight on in the Republican contest, arguing that the roughly 40 per cent of the electorate who voted for her was “not some tiny group”
• The former UN ambassador claimed Mr Trump would fail to unite the country and take the Republicans to defeat in the next election

02:56 AM GMT

Demographics played a part in Haley defeat, GOP official says

What drove Nikki Haley’s double-digit defeat in her home state?

The obvious answer is Donald Trump is simply more popular. But there is more to it than that.

Andrew Boucher, chair of the Charleston Republican Party, says the changing demographics of the state have had an impact.

“One of the things about South Carolina is we’re a growing state, and this part of the state specifically, is growing very fast,” he says.

“So we have a lot of Republicans moving in… and they don’t have as much of a connection with Nikki Haley”.

Mr Boucher, who is staying neutral due to his role, points out that Ms Haley was last on the ballot in 2014.

Pointing around the room at a river-side watch party in the city, he says: “There are a lot of people here in this room tonight, who are active and energised and pumped up, and they got here long after she left.”

02:49 AM GMT

Haley campaign ‘may give her an advantage in 2028’

Nikki Haley’s decision to stay in the Republican race may pay dividends if Donald Trump loses the next presidential election, a South Carolina politics expert believes.

Prof Danielle Vinson, of Furman University, told The Telegraph: “If she proves correct that Trump is not a strong candidate against Biden in November, she may find herself with an advantage if she chooses to run in 2028.

“People who have heard her speak and met her on the campaign trail are usually impressed by her.  In an election that doesn’t include Trump, she could do well.”

She added that Ms Haley may still “pick up a few delegates” if she wins a congressional district in tonight’s contest, but thinks this is unlikely.

02:42 AM GMT

‘Haley should probably throw her support behind Trump’

The writing was on the wall for Nikki Haley when Donald Trump unveiled a tidal wave of endorsements from elected Republican officials in her home state.

Mr Trump may once have been the anti-establishment politician, but he has learned to reap the benefits it can offer. There is no doubt the weight of the GOP’s party machinery has helped him here.

I’ve been chatting to one of those officials: Joe Bustos, a member of South Carolina’s House of Representatives. Mr Bustos represents a district in Charleston County, the heartland of Ms Haley’s base in South Carolina.

But he was among the dozens to endorse Mr Trump.

Is that embarrassing that Republican officials who know Ms Haley are backing her opponent?

“Well, I think it has to be difficult for her,” Mr Bustos says. “But the support for President Trump was just overwhelming.”

He adds: “I think at this point, she should probably throw her support behind President Trump so that he can win decisively”.

02:39 AM GMT

Haley dips below 40 per cent as counting continues

Donald Trump is beating Nikki Haley 60.2 per cent to 39.2 per cent, with around three-quarters of the vote counted.

02:37 AM GMT

Give us your thoughts: What should Haley do next?

Nikki Haley has now seen three defeats in this early stage of the Republican primary – most recently, and most damagingly, in her home state of South Carolina.

She has vowed to fight on until Super Tuesday on March 5: but what then? Give us your thoughts in the poll below.

02:23 AM GMT

Could Nikki Haley run for president as an independent?

Nikki Haley’s decision to stay in the Republican primary race despite vanishingly small odds has raised fresh questions about her endgame.

In tonight’s speech, she said she was running to provide voters with an “alternative” to Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and that her campaign was “never about me or my political future”.

That has fuelled speculation she may drop out of the Republican race after Super Tuesday on March 5 and join the “No Labels” ticket of independents – allowing her to challenge both Mr Biden and Mr Trump at the general election in November.

The strength of the two-party system in the US means independent candidates rarely have much electoral success. But such a bid would allow her to fulfil her ambition to give voters a “real choice”.

Ms Haley has previously denied that she would run under any logo other than the red Republican elephant. But after a crushing loss in her home state, could that be about to change?

02:19 AM GMT

Pictures: Haley vows to keep fighting despite South Carolina defeat

Nikki Haley, right, is joined on stage with her son, Nalin, and daughter, Rena, during the Republican primary in South Carolina – AP Photo/Chris Carlson

Nikki Haley speaks after the South Carolina presidential primary – AP Photo/Chris Carlson

Nikki Haley takes a photo with a supporter after the Republican primary in South Carolina – AP Photo/Chris Carlson

02:06 AM GMT

Haley: I have a duty to give voters a choice

01:47 AM GMT

Who is Ryan Binkley, the third candidate in tonight’s contest?

There is a third candidate on the board in tonight’s vote, and he currently has the support of around 0.1 per cent of voters.

Ryan Binkley is a millionaire businessman and pastor from Texas, who has stayed in the race longer than some of the more likely contenders, including Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy.

I spoke to Mr Binkley in Iowa last month, where he told me he wanted to take America back to “the great days of the past”.

Read the full interview here.

01:45 AM GMT

‘Today is not the end of our story’, vows Haley

Vowing to fight on until the “Super Tuesday” states vote in early March, Nikki Haley concluded: “I’m grateful to South Carolina. I always have been and always will be.

Nikki Haley speaks at her watch party during the Republican presidential primary in Charleston, South Carolina – REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

“And I’m grateful that today is not the end of our story. We’re headed to Michigan tomorrow. And we’re headed to the Super Tuesday states throughout all of next week.

“We’ll keep fighting for America – and we won’t rest until America wins.”

01:42 AM GMT

‘No defeat cuts deeper than in your home state’

There are chants of “Nikki, Nikki” as Nikki Haley takes to the stage.

Ms Haley definitely looks a little dejected. No defeat cuts deeper than in your home state.

Her speech is lacking the energy we’ve seen in the previous primary races.

01:40 AM GMT

Haley: We can’t afford four years of Trump or Biden

Lashing out at Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Nikki Haley said: “We can’t afford four more years of Biden’s failures or Trump’s lack of focus.

“We’re at $34 trillion in debt and counting. Not even a third of our 8th graders are proficient in reading. Families can’t afford groceries.

“Nine million illegals have come to our border – with enough fentanyl to kill every single American.”

Nikki Haley speaks on stage at a watch party during the South Carolina Republican presidential primary – REUTERS/Brian Snyder

She added: “Does anyone seriously think Joe Biden or Donald Trump will unite our country to solve our problems?

“One of them calls his fellow Americans fascists. The other calls his fellow Americans vermin. They aren’t fighting for our country’s future. They’re demanding we fight each other.”

01:38 AM GMT

Haley: I’m a woman of my word – I’ll keep running

Nikki Haley vowed to fight on despite losing her home state of South Carolina, arguing that the 40 per cent of the electorate who voted for her “is not some tiny group”.

She continued: “There are huge numbers of voters in our Republican primaries who are saying they want an alternative.

Nikki Haley speaks on stage at her watch party during the Republican presidential primary election in Charleston, South Carolina – REUTERS/Brian Snyder

“I said earlier this week that no matter what happens in South Carolina, I would continue to run for President.

“I’m a woman of my word. I’m not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden.”

01:36 AM GMT

‘America will come apart if we make the wrong choices’

Nikki Haley continued: “America will come apart if we make the wrong choices. This has never been about me or my political future.

“We need to beat Joe Biden in November.

“I don’t believe Donald Trump can beat Joe Biden. Nearly every day, Trump drives people away, including with his comments just yesterday.”

01:35 AM GMT

I love South Carolina despite defeat, Haley says

Nikki Haley said: “No matter the results, I love the people of our state. I love what we accomplished together. And I love how we united during our worst challenges and tragedies.

“I’ve always seen our state as a family. Families are honest with each other. They say the hard truths. That’s what I’ve done this entire campaign. And that’s what I’ll do now.”

01:34 AM GMT

Nikki Haley addresses supporters

Nikki Haley has appeared onstage to speak to supporters after being defeated by Donald Trump in South Carolina. “Y’all are a rowdy bunch”, she said as the crowd chanted her name.

Nikki Haley hosts a watch party during the Republican presidential primary in Charleston, South Carolina – REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

01:29 AM GMT

Trump maintains lead with third of vote counted

Donald Trump is leading Nikki Haley 58.7 per cent to 40.7 per cent, with a third of the vote counted. Despite being in her home state, Ms Haley looks set to fall short of her performance in New Hampshire.

01:24 AM GMT

Haley has fans – but they didn’t vote for her

There’s a common theme among all the Republican voters I’ve spoken to so far in Charleston.

All of them are fans of Nikki Haley. They just didn’t vote for her.

Tom Fagan, 50, says he liked Ms Haley’s actions when she was governor, but he wants four more years of Donald Trump.

“The stock market went up so much” under Mr Trump’s first term, says Mr Fagan, who is self-employed. “He changed my life. And I would like that again.”

For Amber Sparks, a 55-year-old legal assistant, it’s about “personality over policy”.

She liked Ms Haley’s governorship, but, she says, she just “doesn’t have the juice” for this presidential campaign.

01:22 AM GMT

‘Trump has beaten the swamp’

Donald Trump’s victory in South Carolina shows he will win the presidential election in November, a prospective running mate has said.

Ben Carson, who Mr Trump appointed housing secretary during his time at the White House, said: “Yet another big win for my friend and the next President of the United States.

“The swamp has thrown everything they have at this campaign, but it is unequivocally clear the voters want an America First President back in the White House.

“You can literally feel the momentum building.”

01:18 AM GMT

Reports: Haley waiting for votes to be counted before appearing

Nikki Haley’s supporters are still waiting for her to appear at the results. US media reports that her team is waiting for more votes to come in before she makes an appearance.

Workers hang a sign during an election night watch party for Nikki Haley – Christian Monterrosa/Bloomberg

01:10 AM GMT

Can Haley beat her performance in New Hampshire?

The test Nikki Haley set for herself in South Carolina tonight was to beat her performance in New Hampshire – the last competitive race.

In New Hampshire last month, Ms Haley received 43.2 per cent of the vote, compared with Mr Trump’s 54.3 per cent.

To reach her goal, she must reduce the former president’s margin of 11 points, or improve her vote share.

So far, it looks unlikely she will close the gap in the margin between her and Mr Trump. However, the latest results put her at 42.6 per cent of the vote. If those numbers tick up by another percentage point, she could plausibly claim a (weak) improvement between the two races.

01:10 AM GMT

Pictures: Trump celebrates South Carolina win

Donald Trump, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and Lt Governor Pamela Evette during an election night watch party – Win McNamee/Getty Images

Donald Trump speaks during an election night watch party at the State Fairgrounds in Columbia, South Carolina – Win McNamee/Getty Images

Donald Trump greets supporters during an election night watch party at the State Fairgrounds in Columbia, South Carolina – Alex Wong/Getty Images

01:02 AM GMT

Trump leads Haley on 58 per cent

Donald Trump is beating Nikki Haley 58.3 per cent to 41.2 per cent, with 18 per cent of the vote counted.

12:59 AM GMT

Nikki Haley strongholds map onto 2016 race

The early results in South Carolina show that Nikki Haley is strong in the same places as Marco Rubio, Donald Trump’s main contender in 2016.

The electoral map shows the former UN ambassador has the most support in Charleston county, where she is holding tonight’s watch party, and in the area around the state capital of Columbia.

Those same areas were won by Mr Rubio in 2016 – suggesting that it may be rejection of Mr Trump, not support for Ms Haley herself, that has led to her success there. The third county that appears to have seen strong support for Ms Haley, McCormick county, is the second-least populous in the state.

12:47 AM GMT

Trump: We’ve set a record in every state

Donald Trump is making a big deal out of his margins in the states that have voted so far.

“We’ve set a record so far in every single [state],” he said. “In Iowa, we got the most votes in history, times two, just like this

“We then went to New Hampshire. You know New Hampshire and Iowa. They’ve been around a long time politically.

Donald Trump gestures to supporters during an election night watch party at the State Fairgrounds in Columbia, South Carolina – Win McNamee/Getty Images

He adds: “That’s like who has the most homeruns, who has the most hits in baseball or who threw the most touchdowns in football? Who got the most points in basketball?”

“And we went to New Hampshire – we got the most votes in history.”

12:46 AM GMT

Haley supporters waiting for appearance at results party

Nikki Haley’s watch party is taking place in an upmarket hotel in downtown Charleston – South Carolina’s largest city and the heart of her support base in the state.

The spa hotel bills itself as a place to “unwind” and “find peace” in this picturesque city’s cobbled historic district.

Ms Haley may want to make use of those amenities tomorrow after a difficult evening.

But for now, the audience at her results watch party is awaiting the former South Carolina governor to hear how she spins yet another crushing defeat.

12:44 AM GMT

Exit poll numbers show Haley’s base is backing Trump

Some of the exit poll numbers for Mr Trump are interesting, and show that some of Ms Haley’s core support groups overwhelmingly backed him.

An exit poll by Fox News found that he was stronger among both veterans and women – the latter by almost 30 points, with 63 per cent support to Ms Haley’s 35 per cent.

Less surprisingly, he also had the support of the vast majority of voters who consider themselves as “very conservative”, “rural”, or “white evangelical”.

One small win for Ms Haley came in the form of a survey on “mental acuity”. On that question, she had a two-point lead with 76 per cent of Republican voters declaring she was up to the job. For Mr Trump, the figure was 74 per cent.

12:36 AM GMT

Lindsey Graham booed by Trump supporters

Donald Trump’s claim the Republican Party is totally united has been undercut somewhat by the fact that some of his own supporters are booing the state’s senior senator, Lindsey Graham.

Quite an extraordinary scene. Mr Graham is a close ally of Mr Trump, and speaks to him regularly. But his support for Ukraine, and other policy breaks with hardliners, have put him at odds with some of the MAGA base.

12:33 AM GMT

Early Trump speech ‘stops him being upstaged by Haley’

Donald Trump was furious when Nikki Haley delivered an early results night speech in New Hampshire.

Speaking well before the full extent of her defeat to Mr Trump became clear allowed her to put a positive spin on the night.

The former president is not allowing that tonight.

Donald Trump hosts a South Carolina Republican presidential primary election night party in Columbia, South Carolina – REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer

He stormed onto stage shortly after the polls closed here in South Carolina to delight in his victory.

It was a determined effort – as I can attest – having just made the same cross-country dash as Mr Trump (though without the glamour of a private jet) from CPAC to the southern state.

12:27 AM GMT

Trump ‘going for maximum humiliation’ in victory lap

Donald Trump is going for maximum humiliation in this evening’s victory speech. He has just invited the three most prominent politicians in South Carolina, all of whom are Republicans, to speak about his victory on stage.

Henry McMaster, the state governor, was followed by both senators, Tim Scott and Lindsay Graham. In a normal race, you may have expected South Carolina Republicans to back the candidate from their own state – Nikki Haley.

Not this time, Mr Trump appears to be telling the crowd. “Is South Carolina Trump country?” Mr Scott asks. The response is a resounding “yes”.

12:24 AM GMT

Scott is ‘unbelievable’, says Trump

Donald Trump lavished praise on Tim Scott, who is seen as a potential running mate, as he introduce him to supporters at a victory rally.

“What happened to Tim Scott?” the former president said. “What a dynamo. He has been one of our great advocates, he’s been doing things that have been unbelievable.”

Donald Trump listens as Sen. Tim Scott speaks at a primary election night party in South Carolina – AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

“And I’m just very happy he didn’t have that same energy, drive, because I think I probably would have been out of the race a long time ago,” he added.

12:18 AM GMT

Trump: I will fire Joe Biden

Donald Trump resurrected a catchphrase from his time hosting The Apprentice as he vowed to “fire” Joe Biden after sweeping to victory in South Carolina.

“We’re gonna look at Joe Biden. And we’re gonna look him right in the eye. He’s destroying our country and we’re gonna say, ‘Joe, you’re fired. Get out. Get out,’” he told a crowd of supporters, minutes after polls closed. He did not even mention Nikki Haley, his defeated Republican opponent, by name.

Mr Trump had used his famous catchphrase earlier on Saturday when he appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland.

12:15 AM GMT

Inside the Haley campaign’s thinking

Why is Nikki Haley subjecting herself to the likely humiliation of a drubbing in her home state?

Some political pundits predicted the former South Carolina governor would quit the race before her home state voted, to avoid an embarrassing defeat that could overshadow a future presidential bid.

But with Ms Haley still bringing in cash from a diverse network of donors, she may well feel she should ride the 2024 campaign wave for as long as she can.

A recent call her campaign manager, Betsy Ankney, held with reporters offered some insights.

“We know the odds,” Ms Ankney said, “but we also know the stakes”.

The campaign was going to place its “faith in the American people” until the “door closes”.

That may be just around the corner, with “Super Tuesday” on March 5.

12:13 AM GMT

Trump ‘feeling terrific’ ahead of results

I caught up with Donald Trump’s press secretary at CPAC ahead of his speech to the conference.

Karoline Leavitt told me the former president was “feeling terrific” ahead of tonight’s results.

Ms Leavitt looked very relaxed as she described the entire campaign team’s confidence about the outcome.

She put it down to their “unmatched ground game” and their “overwhelming support” among the state’s elected Republicans.

Most of the state’s GOP figures have bowed to pressure and kissed the ring with an endorsement of Mr Trump, rather than their fellow South Carolinian Nikki Haley, with whom they may have longer standing ties.

“We are so excited for President Trump to have another big victory tonight,” Ms Leavitt said.

12:13 AM GMT

Trump victory ‘is not a shock’

It’s not a shock that Donald Trump has beaten Nikki Haley tonight.

The interesting moment will be what comes next.

Donald Trump walks on stage to speak during an election night watch party at the State Fairgrounds in Columbia, South Carolina – Win McNamee/Getty Images

How does she spin her embarrassing loss in her home state to supporters this evening in Charleston? And will she stay true to her promise to remain in the race ahead of Super Tuesday on March 5?

We can expect a gloating speech from Mr Trump this evening — but it is what Ms Haley does next that will decide whether he takes the nomination now or later.

12:01 AM GMT

Trump will win South Carolina, US media projects

CNN and NBC are among the US news outlets projecting that Donald Trump has won the South Carolina primary, defeating Nikki Haley in her home state.

12:00 AM GMT

Polls are now closed

The polls have now closed in South Carolina. We should be getting the results of the exit polls through soon.

11:53 PM GMT

Final minutes before polls close

There are now just minutes left before polls close in South Carolina. Voters have until at 12am GMT (7pm ET) to show their support for Donald Trump or Nikki Haley.

11:49 PM GMT

Haley: Trump claims about black voters are disgusting

Donald Trump’s “offensive” claim that black voters relate to him because he is a victim of discrimination shows he cannot win a general election, Nikki Haley said.

Speaking at a polling station in South Carolina, the former UN ambassador said: “It’s disgusting. But that’s what happens when he goes off the teleprompter.

“That’s the chaos that comes with Donald Trump.

“That’s the offensiveness that’s going to happen every day between now and the general election, which is why I continue to say Donald Trump cannot win a general election.”

11:40 PM GMT

Haley vs Trump: Where they stand on key issues?

The crowded field of Republican candidates has been whittled down to just a handful as the primary season continues.

Donald Trump shows little sign of losing his grip on the party – and Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor, is the only person who stands even a small chance of stopping his march to the presidential nomination.

The former president appointed Ms Haley UN ambassador during his time in the White House, but has frequently lashed out at her after she announced she would stand against him in the contest.

Ms Haley, for her part, has intensified her criticisms of her former boss as she lags well behind him in the polls – including in her home state of South Carolina.

Not all of this is rhetoric. There are genuine differences between the pair – notably in their outlook on international affairs.

Read the full article on where the candidates stand on key issues here.

11:26 PM GMT

Four in 10 South Carolina voters are ‘very conservative’

Around four in 10 of the voters in tonight’s South Carolina contest describe themselves as “very conservative”, according to exit polls conducted for US media.

That looks like bad news for Nikki Haley, who will be depending on turnout from independents and more moderate voters to make an impact in the race.

11:21 PM GMT

Welcome

Hello and welcome to the live blog. Benedict Smith here. We’ll be bringing you all the updates from South Carolina’s Republican primary, where Donald Trump looks set to beat Nikki Haley in her home state.

10:33 PM GMT

Trump promises to liberate America from Biden

Donald Trump said the US election will be “liberation day” for his supporters and “judgment day” for his enemies in a high-octane speech ahead of the South Carolina primary on Saturday night.

The former president, 77, vowed his second term would mean “revenge” for his opponents as he promised to “fire” Joe Biden, 81.

Rozina Sabur has the full report from Trump’s speech:

10:23 PM GMT

In pictures: Trump’s speech

Trump makes a face as he tells a story – Alex Brandon

The former president dances on stage – Anna Moneymaker

10:19 PM GMT

Biden: Donald Trump is a loser

Joe Biden’s campaign team have released a statement in response to Donald Trump’s criticism of the president in his CPAC speech tonight.

Biden-Harris campaign branded Mr Trump a “loser” and said “the MAGA wing of the Republican Party lost their damn minds putting Trump’s quest for power over our democracy.”

They added: “America already had the opportunity to choose if they wanted another four years of hell with Donald Trump’s chaos, division, and crazy – they said no –  and will again in November.”

Read the statement in full below:

“Donald Trump is a loser: under his presidency America lost more jobs than any president in modern history, women in more than 20 states have lost the freedom to make their own health care decisions because Trump overturned Roe, and the MAGA wing of the Republican Party lost their damn minds putting Trump’s quest for power over our democracy.

“President Biden is building a thriving America right now: record low unemployment and nearly 15 million new jobs, lower prescription drug costs, and protecting Americans freedoms instead of ripping them away.

“America already had the opportunity to choose if they wanted another four years of hell with Donald Trump’s chaos, division, and crazy – they said no –  and will again in November.”

10:00 PM GMT

How did South Carolina vote in the 2020 election?

09:59 PM GMT

‘No point’ in Haley fighting on if she loses tonight

Among political experts there is bafflement at Nikki Haley’s insistence that she will fight on if she loses in South Carolina tonight.

Although candidates often vow to stay in the race before dropping out when they lose, Ms Haley has repeatedly insisted a loss in her home state would not sink her campaign.

“Politically, there is no coherent strategy for staying in the race,” Philip van Scheltinga, research director of the pollster Redfield and Wilton Strategies, told The Telegraph.

“The polling shows Trump well ahead among Republican Primary voters, and even supposing Trump would somehow be taken out by the courts in what would be seen as unfair electioneering, Republican voters would not be happy for him to be replaced by someone who has been standing against him.

“They’d want someone like him, with his vision, to replace him, if it comes to that. I don’t really understand it.”

09:29 PM GMT

Trump hugs Milei

Donald Trump earlier embraced Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, backstage in Maryland.

The right-wing populist is joining Mr Trump among the speakers at the CPAC conference today.

The pair shared a hug before posing for photographs.

09:03 PM GMT

Biden is a ‘stupid fool’

Mr Trump has been on a long tangent criticising Mr Biden’s foreign policies.

“This stupid fool” released Mexico of its obligations, he says.

He adds there were no caravans of migrants travelling to the US-Mexico border under his administration.

But in fact, the Republicans used the spectre of a huge migrant caravan as a campaign issue in the 2018 midterms.

“Iran was broke” with “no money for Hamas”, he says, adding “now they’re making so much money they don’t know what to do”.

Mr Trump adds Israel would “never” have been attacked if he was president.

Donald Trump

08:54 PM GMT

Haley shock looks less and less likely

Nikki Haley is hoping for a shock win in her home state of South Carolina tonight, but if the polls are anything to go by, she will be disappointed.

Donald Trump currently has a lead of almost 30 points, and is planning to jet here from Maryland after he is finished at CPAC this afternoon.

Polls opened at 7am local time this morning, and will close in three hours. We should have the results shortly after that.

The state has a knack of picking the eventual winner of the Republican race — since 1980, only one eventual GOP nominee has failed to win here.

Despite optimism from the Haley camp in the early days of her campaign, local Republicans including her old ally Senator Tim Scott have abandoned her for Mr Trump.

Ms Haley has vowed to stay in the race even if she loses tonight, but the odds on her presidential bid are worsening by the day.

08:52 PM GMT

No mention of Haley

While Mr Trump has railed at everything and everyone from Joe Biden to electric cars, one notable target has been absent from his ramblings.

The former president has been speaking for over 40 minutes and is yet to mention Nikki Haley, his rival in today’s South Carolina primary.

Her exclusion is noteworthy given he hasn’t shied away from attacking her during previous speeches or on social media.

Mr Trump is either saving his attacks for his former UN Ambassador for the end or his talk, or he has been advised not to mention her.

The latter is more likely, as Trump and his advisors likely think she is so far below him in the polls she isn’t worthy of the air time.

08:39 PM GMT

People who fined me are ‘sick’, says Trump

Trump says his opponents “want to take as much money as they can away from me”.

“I grew up in New York”, he said, adding that he was “really good” at the real estate industry.

He said while most people get a $500 fine, he has been given one for $500million.

“These people are sick”, he said.

“It’s all part of weaponisation.”

08:25 PM GMT

Trump is enjoying himself

Mr Trump is clearly enjoying his performance.

The former president told the audience his off-the-cuff speech is “better than reading off a frickin teleprompter, right?”

He added: “Anybody can read off a teleprompter, except for Biden, he can’t do that either.”

08:03 PM GMT

Trump impersonates Biden stumbling off stage (again)

The former president is relishing making fun of his opponent by doing impressions of him trying to figure out where he is going when he finishes a speech.

Mr Trump mimicked Mr Biden pointing in one direction and then walking slowly in the opposite direction.

“This is what we have negotiating nuclear weapons”, he said.

Mr Trump did a similar impression addressing a crowd during a speech on Friday:

08:02 PM GMT

Unscripted Trump on show

We’re seeing the unscripted version of Mr Trump today. His speech is littered with tangents and off-script anecdotes.

His team has worked hard to keep Mr Trump disciplined: on script, and on message.

They may not be thrilled with these lengthy monologues, but the crowd is loving it. They are rapt with attention and laughing at almost every pause.

Currently we’re hearing a story about a secretive visit to Iraq he made while president.

He describes how good looking the pilots on the flight were. “Not my thing,” he says jokingly, but adds they were from “central casting”.

They were “better looking than Tom Cruise – and taller”, he says.

Mr Trump says he found some of the journey scary, but pretended he was “cool as a cucumber”.

He needed a towel on landing, he joked.  He goes on to say he jocularly asked his team if he could award himself the presidential medal of honour for his bravery on such a treacherous journey.

07:49 PM GMT

Trump defends Jan 6 rioters

Trump says nobody has ever been “treated” like the Capitol rioters, many of which have been prosecuted.

“There’s never been anything like it”, he said.

“Carpenters, mechanics, lawyers, firemen, policemen, military people, they went to protest a rigged election and they’ve been sentenced to years in prison”, he said.

07:44 PM GMT

Trump promises largest deportation in history

Trump is being a little fluid with the figures he’s using when he discusses the scale of illegal immigration under Joe Biden.

Earlier he talked about 40 to 50 million people entering the US under Mr Biden’s presidency.

Now he says there’ll be at least 18 million people.

Either way, he is promising “the largest deportation in the history of our country” if he regains power in November.

07:42 PM GMT

Nov 5 will be ‘liberation day’

The next presidential election on Nov 5 will be “liberation” day, Mr Trump says. And for the “liars and cheaters” in government, it will be “judgment day”.

America’s “unprecedented success” will be “my ultimate and absolute revenge”, he adds.

07:40 PM GMT

Legal woes blasted as ‘Stalinist show trials’

Addressing his mounting legal woes, Mr Trump said the Biden administration has “replaced law, precedent and due process with a rabid mob of radical left Democrat partisans masquerading as judges and juries and prosecutors”.

He said given the “level of hatred” directed at him from the judges and prosecutors there is “no way” he can get a fair trial.

“It’s sick, these are sick people”, he said.

“The only crime I’ve ever committed is defending America and those who want to destroy it.”

07:39 PM GMT

Trump tells Joe Biden: ‘you’re fired’

Harking back to his former career on reality television, Mr Trump tells the audience they have to “throw off the chains of our out of control political class”.

“That begins with telling crooked Joe Biden, you remember The Apprentice?”, he said.

Shouting, he adds: “Crooked Joe Biden: you’re fired! Get out of here!”

He added: “You’re fired, Biden, get the hell out of here.”

07:28 PM GMT

Trump attacks Joe Biden’s mental state

Donald Trump has used his speech to lash out at Joe Biden, taking particular aim at his age.

“Crooked Joe and his henchmen Have you trapped and it’s an express train barreling toward servitude and to ruin it’s it’s moving at a speed that Joe doesn’t understand because, Joe, actually, I don’t think he knows what the hell’s going on, to be honest with you”, he said.

He told the audience: “A vote for Trump is your ticket back to freedom, it’s your passport out of tyranny, and it’s your only escape from Joe Biden and his gang’s fast track to hell, and in many ways we’re living in hell right now.”

He can’t resist making another dig at Mr Biden’s mental acuity.

“He’s the most incompetent person, can you imagine this man who can’t walk off a stage he can’t find the stairs”, he said.

He also joked that Mr Biden only “makes a two minute speech because… they couldn’t get any more fuel than that.”

07:14 PM GMT

Name checks for Trump’s cheerleaders

Mr Trump name checks all his cheerleaders in the audience. He notes that Kari Lake – thought to be pitching herself to be his running mate – got a particularly loud cheer.

After a few years out in the cold, Steve Bannon is back in the MAGA tent. “Where’s Steve? Stand up,” Mr Trump says, adding we “love” him.

Mr Trump also praised Mike Lindell, the CEO of My Pillow, who he described as the “single greatest advertiser and purchaser of advertising in the history of America.”

Earlier this week, the right wing conspiracy theorist was ordered to pay $5 million to an election debunker who proved 2020 election data he provided wasn’t real.

07:12 PM GMT

‘Bigger and more beautiful’

Donald Trump opens by celebrating the “packed” hotel ballroom. “It’s a tremendous celebration. It’s gotten bigger and more beautiful,” he says of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

“I’m supposed to be in a slightly different location,” he said, in reference to today’s GOP primary in South Carolina, “and I said no, I’m sorry, I want to be at CPAC today,” to cheers from the crowd.

07:01 PM GMT

Trump kisses flag as he takes stage an hour late

The Jan 6 choir is blared from the speakers as Donald Trump takes to the stage at CPAC, an hour after his scheduled speaking slot.

The former president recited the national anthem in a pre-recorded message before taking to the stage.

He kissed the American flag.

Donald Trump kisses a flag as he arrives on stage – MANDEL NGAN

06:27 PM GMT

South Carolina still ruby red despite influx from blue states

Census data shows a third of new residents in South Carolina between 2017 and 2021 came from blue states, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Nonpartisan voter file analysts L2 claims around 57 per cent of voters who moved to South Carolina during that time are Republicans, many of which may have been seeking lower taxes and a state with more conservative values.

Sandy Zel, 47, who moved to South Carolina three-years-ago, said she relocated to ensure they had the “freedom to make choices for our kids and our family that were taken away in New York”.

She told the Wall Street Journal she will vote for former President Donald Trump because he’s definitely for the freedom that we enjoy.”

Webb Ellinger, 62, who works in finance, moved to South Carolina three years ago from New York.

Mr Ellinger, who identifies as a Democrat but will vote for Ms Haley, said: “Democrats have swung too far to the left for my taste.”

06:19 PM GMT

Large crowd waits for Trump

06:13 PM GMT

Dancing Queen plays before Trump’s speech

Donald Trump is expected to take the stage in Maryland shortly.

Abba’s “Dancing Queen” is blaring as the crowd awaits Donald Trump here at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland.

A staple of CPAC is its eccentric merchandise. This year, along with the traditional red “MAGA” caps there’s a version that comes with fake blonde hair attached, in reverence to Mr Trump’s golden mane.

05:56 PM GMT

Interactive tool: Who would you pick for Trump’s VP

Traditionally, the straw poll that caps the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) asks voters who they would like to become president.

This year, for the first time in at least a decade, it’s asking a more pertinent question: who do you want to become vice president?

Trump acolytes are hoping a favourable result in the polls may tilt the scales in their favour as the Republican frontrunner mulls his options.

We’ll know the result in just a few hours’ time.

Take the quiz below and let us know who you picked in the comments section.

05:52 PM GMT

Kari Lake attacks US funding for Ukraine on war anniversary

As the Trump running mate contest continues, Kari Lake takes to the stage at CPAC.

Ms Lake, a senate candidate in Arizona and a leading voice of 2020 election fraud claims in the state, has been given a star billing.

She’s up shortly before Donald Trump’s own star turn here. She is lauding Mr Trump’s strongman approach to foreign policy.

“Those mean tweets brought us world peace,” she tells the crowd. “I like a bull in a china shop”.

Ms Lake is continuing a theme of conservative hardliners as she moves on discussing the financial burden America has shouldered with regard to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“Imagine if we could use that money we’ve been pouring into that black hole called Ukraine into solving America’s problems,” she says.

“Starting next year, we’re going to start putting the USA first,” she adds.

Kari Lake on stage in Maryland – SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

05:48 PM GMT

What is CPAC – and what is the focus of this year’s event?

I’m at CPAC, a big annual gathering of grassroots conservatives that takes place in a resort hotel just outside Washington.

In previous years, CPAC was an opportunity for the Republican Party’s would-be leaders to set out their stall to the core base.

But there’s no question over who leads the GOP now, and so the contest playing out here this year is focused on who could be Mr Trump’s running mate.

We’ve heard from a string of potential vice presidential picks over the four-day conference, including New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik and South Dakota governor Kristi Noem.

The former told the crowd she was one of the first people to endorse Mr Trump. “Last year, when everyone was asking me if I was going to consider running, I said no. Why would you run for president when you know you can’t win,” Ms Noem told the crowd.

Ms Stefanik delivered a monologue straight out of the Trump playbook. The media were the “loyal stenographers of the left”, she said, championing Republican congressional investigations into the “Biden crime family”.

05:25 PM GMT

South Carolina Republicans feel ‘disheartened’

Chip Felkel, a Republican political consultant in the Palmetto state, said he is feeling “frustrated, disheartened and bewildered” ahead of today’s results.

The energy is “not what it usually is” during the South Carolina primary “because we only have two candidates and there’s a certain degree of inevitability”, he told The Telegraph.

Mr Felkel, who is a Trump critic, also said the former president and his staffers will be “livid” Nikki Haley has so far refused to drop out of the race.

“They wanted everybody to bend the knee and make it a general election much quicker than it should be”, he said.

“If she’s lucky, she closes the gap and he fires off something stupid on truth, social, and she raises another $16m.”

05:18 PM GMT

Haley casts her vote with family in South Carolina

Nikki Haley has been photographed arriving with her family to cast her vote in South Carolina.

The presidential hopeful arrived with her mother Raj, son Nalin, daughter Rena on to sign her ballot on Kiawah Island.

South Carolina is Ms Haley’s home state, where she served as governor from 2011 to 2017.

Nikki Haley arrives with her family to cast her vote – BRIAN SNYDER

05:04 PM GMT

Haley will become soon become ‘irrelevant’

Jeff Lord, who served in the Reagan administration, has said Nikki Haley will shortly reach a point “where she’s just irrelevant, it won’t matter what she says or does.”

He told The Telegraph: “South Carolina is Nikki Haley’s home state. As I always say, when a presidential candidate can’t carry their own state in a primary, they’ve got problems.“

Mr Lord predicts that Ms Haley’s donors will “stop giving” if she continues to lose.

“They’ll realise she’s not going anywhere, so they’ll start withholding money.

“That is what will cause her finally to stop”, he said.

04:51 PM GMT

Polling in South Carolina

04:47 PM GMT

Nikki Haley: Trump has emboldened Putin

Nikki Haley has accused Donald Trump of “emboldening” Vladimir Putin by encouraging him to attack America’s allies.

In an interview this morning on the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ms Haley said Mr Trump was “siding with a dictator who kills his political opponents”.

At a rally earlier this month, Mr Trump said he would “encourage” aggressive foreign states to “do whatever the hell they want” to Nato members who do not meet defence spending targets.

“He’s siding with a tyrant who arrests American journalists and holds them hostage. He’s siding with a thug who’s made no bones about the fact that he wants to destroy America,” Ms Haley said.

“This is the time that America needs to understand that Putin has made it very clear that once he takes Ukraine, Poland and the Baltics are next. If that happens, that puts America at war. We are trying to prevent war.

“And when Trump went and said that he wanted Putin to invade our allies, that immediately made our allies vulnerable. It emboldened Putin, which is why he’s now putting troops around the Baltic countries, and it puts all of our military men and women in those areas at risk.”

04:44 PM GMT

What’s the latest?

• Donald Trump is set to speak to appeal to the Republican faithful at CPAC at 6pm GMT in Maryland
• Voting has officially opened in the South Carolina primary
• Polls will close in South Carolina at around midnight GMT (7pm EST)
• Mr Trump is expected to secure another landside win for the nomination in the state
• Nikki Haley has insisted she will remain in the race until Super Tuesday on March

04:40 PM GMT

Welcome to our live coverage

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Donald Trump’s speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference and the South Carolina Republican primary.

Tony Diver, our US Editor, and Rozina Sabur, our Deputy US Editor, are on the ground in South Carolina and Maryland and will be bringing you all the latest updates.

You can watch our livestream of Donald Trump’s speech at around 6pm GMT on the stream above.

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