President Biden, who sailed to an easy victory Saturday in South Carolina’s Democratic primary, lauded the win as a way to make former President Trump “a loser” in November.
In his celebration, Biden looked back to the 2020 election, when the Palmetto State primary became a turning point in his bid for the White House.
As I said four years ago, this campaign is for everyone who has been knocked down, counted out and left behind,” Biden wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “That is still true today.”
“In 2020, it was the voters of South Carolina who proved the pundits wrong, breathed new life into our campaign, and set us on the path to winning the Presidency,” he added. “Now in 2024, the people of South Carolina have spoken again and I have no doubt that you have set us on the path to winning the Presidency again—and making Donald Trump a loser—again.
His remarks came just minutes after Decision Desk HQ, a partner of The Hill, called the race for the incumbent president. As of 8 p.m. EST, Biden had garnered 55 delegates, with 10 still left to distribute.
Biden also touted his efforts to help South Carolina become the first-in-the-nation primary for Democrats, citing the need to promote diverse voices — despite the coveted status being held by New Hampshire since the 1920s.
While Biden won the January primary in the Granite State through a write-in campaign, he did not receive delegates — as it was not a sanctioned contest. This makes it his first primary win this election season.
“When I was elected President, I said the days of the backbone of the Democratic Party being at the back of the line were over. That was a promise made and a promise kept,” he wrote Saturday. “Now, you are First In The Nation.”
“The stakes in this election could not be higher. There are extreme and dangerous voices at work in the country — led by Donald Trump — who are determined to divide our nation and take us backward. We cannot let that happen,” Biden added.
He concluded, “Let’s keep pushing forward. Let’s finish what we started—together.”
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His enthusiasm has undercut arguments from long-shot challengers Rep Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) and author Marianne Williamson, who have criticized the incumbent for his age and dwindling approval ratings.
While South Carolina is not expected to be a competitive state in the general election, which could end up being a rematch between Biden and Trump, the president is hoping it will give him the boost his campaign has been lacking. But, a coveted endorsement from Sen. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) was seen as the catalyst that propelled him to victory over the former president in 2020.
During an afterparty celebration Saturday, Clyburn called Biden — who thanked the crowd for supporting him.
“You’re not getting rid of me, I’m coming back,” he said, according to multiple reports
Polling averages from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ currently show Trump leading Biden 43.6 percent to 42.1 percent in a general election match up.