Speaker 1 (00:00):
President Biden and former President Trump are both celebrating victories tonight in Michigan, winning their presidential primaries. But the president faced some criticism for his handling of the war in Gaza. Despite a number of voters who voted uncommitted, President Biden won convincingly.
Micah Ohlman (00:18): As did Trump with his overwhelming win over Nikki Haley. Now, a Biden, Trump rematch appears all but certain KTLAs John Fenoglio here with the tally tonight, John.
John Fenoglio (00:28): Well, sure, Micah. That's right. While tens of thousands of voters were uncommitted in the Democratic primary, thousands of voters also cast their ballots for Nikki Haley on the Republican side. It's a small sign both Biden and Trump could be vulnerable in the general election. Let's get you right to some of those numbers. Take a look here. A little more than 68% of people voted for former President Trump to nearly 27% for Nikki Haley. Nearly 3% were uncommitted. Trump remains undefeated so far. On the Democratic side, a little more than 81% backed President Biden. But take a look at this. Almost 13% were uncommitted in a mostly protest vote against the president for his support of Israel's war and Gaza. (01:09) Still, these were clear victories for both Biden and Trump. And now it appears that a general election rematch is all but certain. Both President Biden and former President Trump clenching decisive victories in Michigan's Democratic and Republican presidential primaries, positioning both one step closer to a general election showdown later this year. The Associated Press calling both races as polls closed at 9:00 PM in the crucial battleground state. Mr. Trump has won all five 2024 GOP contests so far. His rival Nikki Haley, bolstered by a crush of campaign cash from wealthy donors, is vowing to stay in the race through next week's Super Tuesday. Despite trailing the former president, and delegates and polling. Haley campaigning in Colorado, Tuesday.
Nikki Haley (01:55): This is not personal for me with Donald Trump. I voted for Donald Trump twice. I was proud to serve America in his administration, but the truth of the matter is chaos follows him everywhere he goes, chaos follows him.
John Fenoglio (02:10): President Biden defeating his only significant opponent, Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips, while also facing substantial opposition from Arab-American voters over his support for Israel's war in Gaza against Hamas.
Speaker 5 (02:23): Free, free Palestine!
John Fenoglio (02:24): Thousands of Michigan voters who oppose the war casting uncommitted ballots against Mr. Biden. A clear sign, there are fractions within the Democratic Party and a warning about the general election. Mr. Biden issuing a statement Tuesday night thanking Michiganders for voting without acknowledging the surprising number of uncommitted ballots. The president appearing on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers, Monday, where he discussed his position on Israel's war against Hamas, which has killed scores of Palestinian civilians.
Seth Meyers (02:55): Is there a safe future for the people who live there?
President Biden (02:58): The hostages being held must be released, and it's a principle agreement; there'll be a ceasefire while that takes place. There's a process underway, that I think if we get that temporary ceasefire, we're going to be able to move in a direction where we can change the dynamic and not have a two-state solution immediately. But a process to get to a two-state solution. A process to guarantee Israel's security and the independence of the Palestinians.
John Fenoglio (03:29): All right, Super Tuesday, which includes California's primary, is just a week away. So now through Tuesday, March 4th, polling locations are open for in-person voting from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. On election day, March 5th, polls are open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. To find your nearest voting center, head to our website, ktla.com. Chair Micah sending it back to you.
Micah Ohlman (03:51): John. Thank you.