US President Joe Biden and his White House predecessor Donald Trump have clinched their parties’ presidential nominations with decisive victories in several primaries, setting up a general election rematch that many American voters do not want.
The outcome of contests across Georgia, Mississippi and Washington state was never in doubt. Neither Mr Biden, a Democrat, nor Mr Trump, a Republican, faced major opposition.
However, the magnitude of their wins gave each man the delegate majority he needed to claim his party’s nomination at the summertime national conventions.
Not even halfway through the US presidential primary calendar, Tuesday marked a crystallising moment for a nation uneasy with its choices in 2024.
There is no longer any doubt that the autumn election will feature a rematch between two flawed and unpopular presidents.
At 81, Mr Biden is already the oldest president in US history, while the 77-year-old Mr Trump is facing decades in prison as a defendant in four criminal cases.
Their rematch – the first featuring two US presidents since 1912 – will almost certainly deepen the nation’s searing political and cultural divides over the eight-month grind that lies ahead.
In a statement, Mr Biden celebrated the nomination while casting Mr Trump as a serious threat to democracy.
Mr Trump, the US President said, “is running a campaign of resentment, revenge, and retribution that threatens the very idea of America”.
He continued: “I am honoured that the broad coalition of voters representing the rich diversity of the Democratic Party across the country have put their faith in me once again to lead our party – and our country – in a moment when the threat Trump poses is greater than ever.”
Mr Trump, in a video posted on social media, celebrated what he called “a great day of victory”.
“But now we have to get back to work because we have the worst president in the history of our country,” the Republican said of Mr Biden.
“So, we’re not going to take time to celebrate. We’ll celebrate in eight months when the election is over.”
Both candidates dominated Tuesday’s primaries in swing-state Georgia, deep-red Mississippi and Democratic-leaning Washington. Mr Trump also won Hawaii’s Republican caucus.
Despite their tough talk, the road ahead will not be easy for either presumptive nominee.
Mr Trump is facing 91 felony counts in four criminal cases involving his handling of classified documents and his attempt to overturn the 2020 election, among other alleged crimes.
He is also facing increasingly pointed questions about his policy plans and relationships with some of the world’s most dangerous dictators. Mr Trump met privately on Friday with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has rolled back democracy in his country.
Mr Biden, who would be 86 years old at the end of his next term, is working to assure a sceptical electorate that he is still physically and mentally able to thrive in the world’s most important job.
Voters in both parties are unhappy with his handling of immigration and inflation.
And he is dealing with additional dissension within his party’s progressive base, furious that he has not done more to stop Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Activists and religious leaders in Washington have encouraged Democrats to vote “uncommitted” to signal their outrage.
In Seattle, 26-year-old voter Bella Rivera said they hoped their “uncommitted” vote would would serve as a wake-up call for the Democratic party.
The school teacher said: “If you really want our votes, if you want to win this election, you’re going to have to show a little bit more either support of Palestinian liberation – that’s something that’s very important to us – and ceasing funds to Israel.”
Almost 3,000 miles away in Georgia, retiree Donna Graham said she would have preferred another Republican nominee over Mr Trump, but she added there is no way she would ever vote for Mr Biden in the general election.
“He wasn’t my first choice, but he’s the next best thing,” Ms Graham said of Mr Trump. “It’s sad that it’s the same old match-up as four years ago.”
