Voters turned out in record numbers Tuesday to cast ballots in New Hampshire’s Republican primary.
Nikki Haley initially appeared confident. After all, she had endorsements from Republican Govs. Chris Sununu (N.H.) and Asa Hutchinson (Ark.); the backing of at least one top Democratic donor; an apparent army of non-Republicans ready to vote for her; and positive media coverage.
Former President Donald Trump handily beat her by double digits.
MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, who has evidenced some trouble distinguishing between fact and fiction, painted Trump’s receipt of 54.6% of the vote and 12 delegates as a bad omen for the Republican candidate, claiming he had a “very bad night.”
O’Donnell’s launched into an apples-to-oranges comparison with the intention to cast Trump’s win as a prelude to a November loss.
“One of the relevant frames to use in looking at what Trump achieved and what he did not achieve is what Joe Biden achieved,” said the liberal talking head. “Someone else came in second tonight.”
The second runner-up O’Donnell was referring to was Democratic challenger Rep. Dean Phillips (Minn.), who took 19.7% of the vote in the New Hampshire Democratic primary — more or less what an American Research Group poll indicated earlier this month he would receive. Biden, who failed to register in the state, alternatively received 67.5% of the vote.
“So Dean Phillips got completely crushed, didn’t come close to the threshold,” said O’Donnell. “So Joe Biden demonstrates this enormous strength in New Hampshire tonight.”
“Then you have Trump showing much greater weakness against a credible challenger,” continued the MSNBC host, who apparently missed both the CNN exit poll indicating roughly 70% of Haley supporters were not registered Republicans and the Iowa Republican primary results. “It depends on how you want to look at Trump. He wants to be called president in court and everywhere, so let’s call him president just for this moment.”
“When a president is on the ballot in the New Hampshire primary, you are supposed to win everything. You are not supposed to face a serious challenger. And when you do, you lose,” said O’Donnell. “There is no president who faced a serious challenge in the New Hampshire primary who then won in November.”
“So this is a very bad night for Donald Trump, looking at the pattern of presidents in the New Hampshire primary situations who face very serious challenges,” concluded O’Donnell.
While Trump did not live up to the MSNBC host’s expectations, he is nevertheless leading Biden in the latest polls by several points — by five points according to Morning Consult; by six points according to Harvard CAPS/ Harris; and by four points according to the Messenger/HarrisX poll.
While Haley’s non-Republican supporters may have skewed the New Hampshire primary results to suggest a closer race than first indicated in Iowa, recent polls of registered Republicans put Trump over 60 points ahead of the former U.N. ambassador.
A Harvard-Harris poll recently asked GOP voters who would they vote for if the 2024 election was held today. Over 71% said Trump and 9% said Haley.
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