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| South Carolina primary: Trump wins big while Jeb Bush drops out – live | South Carolina primary: Trump wins big while Jeb Bush drops out – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 2.55am GMT | |
| 02:55 | |
| Matt Sullivan | |
| Ted Cruz, carrying his daughter on stage and looking despondent or at least a little tired, told supporters he and Marco Rubio had so far “effectively tied for second place”. | |
| “Only one strong conservative is in a position to win this race,” he said at the state fairgrounds in Columbia, proclaiming himself as a general-election option against Hillary Clinton who, as opposed to Rubio, had already won a state in the primary campaign. | |
| “We are the only campaign that has beaten and can beat Donald Trump. That’s why Donald relentlessly attacks us and ignores the other candidates.” | |
| The Texas senator’s campaign ran up against an anti-establishment blockade from Trump, broke down in the evangelical north of the state that he was supposed to maintain and failed to surge with a message about the Supreme Court beyond a stray last-minute poll. Nonetheless, he said his campaign had left “the Washington cartel in full terror” of an uprising that he might still lead. | |
| 2.54am GMT | |
| 02:54 | |
| Scott Bixby | |
| “As president, I will rebuild our military,” Ted Cruz says, “stand unequivocally with the nation of Israel, and utterly destroy Isis.” | |
| “Together, we will secure the borders and keep America safe,” he continues. “And I give you my solemn word that every justice I appoint to the supreme court will be a principled constitutionalist who will be faithful and will vigilantly protect the rights of our children and grandchildren.” | |
| “When I look at our young daughters,” Cruz says, “I know that I will fight with every breath in my body to ensure that they enjoy the same fundamental liberties that all of us have been blessed to inherit.” | |
| “We will not go quietly into the night and give up on a brighter America.” | |
| 2.50am GMT | |
| 02:50 | |
| Scott Bixby | |
| “If you don’t believe that Donald Trump is the best candidate to run against Hillary Clinton in November, if you believe we need a strong contrast with the Democrats, then we welcome you aboard our team,” Ted Cruz says. | |
| “We welcome you to be part of the over 200,000 volunteers and over 980,000 contributions - join us at TedCruz.org.” | |
| The crowd begins another “Ted! Ted! Ted!” chant, this one longer and louder than the first. | |
| 2.47am GMT | |
| 02:47 | |
| South Carolina has given us another remarkable result! | |
| – Senator Ted Cruz, on his possible third-place finish. | |
| 2.46am GMT | |
| 02:46 | |
| Scott Bixby | |
| “This election will be a referendum on the supreme court - and let me tell you, I cannot wait to stand on that debate stage with Hillary Clinton, or Bernie Sanders, or whatever other socialist they nominate and make the case against their radical interpretation of the constitution!” Cruz says. | |
| The line falls, oddly, flat. | |
| 2.44am GMT | |
| 02:44 | |
| Scott Bixby | |
| “First Iowa, then New Hampshire, now South Carolina. We don’t know the exact results right now - right now we are tied for second place. But each time we defy expectations, and defy the pundits,” Cruz says, spawning a spontaneous outburts of “Ted! Ted! Ted!” chants. | |
| “The screaming you hear now from across the Potomac is the Washington cartel in full terror that the conservative grassroots found a voice!” Cruz cheers, before leading a moment of silence for the late supreme court justice Antonin Scalia, who he describes as a “ferocious defender of the constitution and the bill of rights.” | |
| “As Ronald Reagan was to the presidency, so, too, was justice Scalia to the supreme court,” Cruz says, reiterating a common line from his stump speech. | |
| 2.41am GMT | |
| 02:41 | |
| Scott Bixby | |
| Ted Cruz lauds newly minted dropout Jeb Bush, to polite applause from the assembled, as “a man who ran a campaign based on ideas, based on policy, based on substance, a man who didn’t go to the gutter and engage in insults and attacks.” | |
| “Governor Bush brought honor and dignity to this campaign.” | |
| 2.39am GMT | |
| 02:39 | |
| Scott Bixby | |
| The second-to-last presidential candidate to speak following the South Carolina Republican primaries, Texas senator Ted Cruz began his speech at the Cruz campaign’s watch party in Columbia with to the strains of Where The Stars And Stripes And Eagle Fly and huge applause from his supporters. | |
| “You continue to defy the pundits and to produce extraordinary results,” Cruz began. | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.56am GMT | |
| 2.30am GMT | 2.30am GMT |
| 02:30 | 02:30 |
| Sabrina Siddiqui | Sabrina Siddiqui |
| From Jeb Bush’s watch party/wake in South Carolina: | From Jeb Bush’s watch party/wake in South Carolina: |
| Shell Suber, 49, told the Guardian that his feelings were “hard to put into words”. | Shell Suber, 49, told the Guardian that his feelings were “hard to put into words”. |
| “You work really hard to convince people he’s the best candidate,” he said. “But you have to get enough people to understand and believe it.” | “You work really hard to convince people he’s the best candidate,” he said. “But you have to get enough people to understand and believe it.” |
| Suber, from Columbia, described this as “an odd year” for Republican politics. “There’s so many candidates. And then there’s a celebrity candidate who has made it so difficult for the rest of us to get our message out and make our case.” | Suber, from Columbia, described this as “an odd year” for Republican politics. “There’s so many candidates. And then there’s a celebrity candidate who has made it so difficult for the rest of us to get our message out and make our case.” |
| Suber said he did not see what else Bush could have done. | Suber said he did not see what else Bush could have done. |
| “A lot of people will say he should have attacked Trump sooner but none of those people thought he would be a serious candidates back in June or July.” | “A lot of people will say he should have attacked Trump sooner but none of those people thought he would be a serious candidates back in June or July.” |
| Related: Jeb Bush ends bid for president after Donald Trump wins in South Carolina | Related: Jeb Bush ends bid for president after Donald Trump wins in South Carolina |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.31am GMT | at 2.31am GMT |
| 2.26am GMT | 2.26am GMT |
| 02:26 | 02:26 |
| Ted Cruz takes the stage in Columbia, South Carolina | Ted Cruz takes the stage in Columbia, South Carolina |
| Scott Bixby | Scott Bixby |
| Still locked in a close battle for second place in the South Carolina Republican primary with bitter rival Marco Rubio, Texas senator Ted Cruz has taken to the stage at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds in Columbia, the capital of and largest city in the Palmetto State. | Still locked in a close battle for second place in the South Carolina Republican primary with bitter rival Marco Rubio, Texas senator Ted Cruz has taken to the stage at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds in Columbia, the capital of and largest city in the Palmetto State. |
| Moments after South Carolina victor Donald Trump declared that he was going to “put this thing away,” Cruz made it clear to his supporters that the campaign for the Republican nomination is far from over. | Moments after South Carolina victor Donald Trump declared that he was going to “put this thing away,” Cruz made it clear to his supporters that the campaign for the Republican nomination is far from over. |
| 2.26am GMT | 2.26am GMT |
| 02:26 | 02:26 |
| “For me, the state of South Carolina will always be the place of new beginnings and fresh starts,” Marco Rubio says. “I know that God’s hand is on everything, and so whatever God’s will is in this election is ultimately what will happen to us and to our country.” | “For me, the state of South Carolina will always be the place of new beginnings and fresh starts,” Marco Rubio says. “I know that God’s hand is on everything, and so whatever God’s will is in this election is ultimately what will happen to us and to our country.” |
| “But if it is God’s will that I serve as our 45th president, if it is God’s will that we win this election, then history will say that on this night in South Carolina that we took the first steps in the beginning of a new American century!” | “But if it is God’s will that I serve as our 45th president, if it is God’s will that we win this election, then history will say that on this night in South Carolina that we took the first steps in the beginning of a new American century!” |
| And with that, Marco Rubio finishes the most victorious third-place speech in American history. | And with that, Marco Rubio finishes the most victorious third-place speech in American history. |
| 2.23am GMT | 2.23am GMT |
| 02:23 | 02:23 |
| “Tonight, for those watching at home, i ask you to join us in this effort. This has been a long road,” Marco Rubio says. “I know that our campaign gives us the best chance not just to come together, not just to unify our party, but to unify our country.” | “Tonight, for those watching at home, i ask you to join us in this effort. This has been a long road,” Marco Rubio says. “I know that our campaign gives us the best chance not just to come together, not just to unify our party, but to unify our country.” |
| 2.21am GMT | 2.21am GMT |
| 02:21 | 02:21 |
| If tonight you are that single mother who has made it the purpose of your life to give your children a better life than yourself, we conservatives will fight for you! | If tonight you are that single mother who has made it the purpose of your life to give your children a better life than yourself, we conservatives will fight for you! |
| – Marco Rubio. | – Marco Rubio. |
| 2.19am GMT | 2.19am GMT |
| 02:19 | 02:19 |
| Scott Bixby | Scott Bixby |
| Marco Rubio frames his potential third-place finish in South Carolina as bringing him to inherit the position of conservative icon Ronald Reagan, who was elected president after the “failed” presidency of Jimmy Carter. | Marco Rubio frames his potential third-place finish in South Carolina as bringing him to inherit the position of conservative icon Ronald Reagan, who was elected president after the “failed” presidency of Jimmy Carter. |
| “And then we elected a president who inspired us - a president who asked us to remember who we were and believed as we do that America’s greatest days are still ahead,” Rubio says. | “And then we elected a president who inspired us - a president who asked us to remember who we were and believed as we do that America’s greatest days are still ahead,” Rubio says. |
| “Ronald Reagan made us believe that it was morning in America again, and it was,” Rubio continues. “Now, the children of Reagan are ready to assume the mantle of leadership. Those of us who grew up when it was morning in America and Ronald Reagan was in the White House are ready to do for the next generation what Ronald Reagan did for ours!” | “Ronald Reagan made us believe that it was morning in America again, and it was,” Rubio continues. “Now, the children of Reagan are ready to assume the mantle of leadership. Those of us who grew up when it was morning in America and Ronald Reagan was in the White House are ready to do for the next generation what Ronald Reagan did for ours!” |
| 2.16am GMT | 2.16am GMT |
| 02:16 | 02:16 |
| Scott Bixby | Scott Bixby |
| “I have an incredible affection and admiration for governor Bush and his family,” Rubio begins. | “I have an incredible affection and admiration for governor Bush and his family,” Rubio begins. |
| “Jeb Bush has many things to be proud of: he’s an extraordinary father, he’s an extraordinary husband,” Rubio continues. “He’s the greatest governor in the history of Florida, and I believe and I pray that his service to our country has not ended.” | “Jeb Bush has many things to be proud of: he’s an extraordinary father, he’s an extraordinary husband,” Rubio continues. “He’s the greatest governor in the history of Florida, and I believe and I pray that his service to our country has not ended.” |
| 2.14am GMT | 2.14am GMT |
| 02:14 | 02:14 |
| Marco Rubio takes the stage at watch party in Columbia, South Carolina | Marco Rubio takes the stage at watch party in Columbia, South Carolina |
| Scott Bixby | Scott Bixby |
| Although the race for second place in the South Carolina Republican primary is still too close to call, Florida senator Marco Rubio has taken the stage triumphantly in Columbia, South Carolina, after campaign spokespeople told reporters that the campaign would consider a third-place finish in the Palmetto State a victory. | Although the race for second place in the South Carolina Republican primary is still too close to call, Florida senator Marco Rubio has taken the stage triumphantly in Columbia, South Carolina, after campaign spokespeople told reporters that the campaign would consider a third-place finish in the Palmetto State a victory. |
| Rubio is within tenths of a point of bitter rival Ted Cruz. | Rubio is within tenths of a point of bitter rival Ted Cruz. |
| 2.08am GMT | 2.08am GMT |
| 02:08 | 02:08 |
| Ben Jacobs | Ben Jacobs |
| Jeb Bush’s decision to drop out also represents an existential challenge to Donald Trump. | Jeb Bush’s decision to drop out also represents an existential challenge to Donald Trump. |
| The real estate mogul has made Bush his whipping boy throughout the campaign. Trump seemingly attacks Bush at every campaign event. He has labeled the former Florida governor as “low energy” and repeatedly attacked Bush’s family, his character and ethics. The question is how Trump will fare without his favorite foil. | The real estate mogul has made Bush his whipping boy throughout the campaign. Trump seemingly attacks Bush at every campaign event. He has labeled the former Florida governor as “low energy” and repeatedly attacked Bush’s family, his character and ethics. The question is how Trump will fare without his favorite foil. |
| 2.07am GMT | 2.07am GMT |
| 02:07 | 02:07 |
| Scott Bixby | Scott Bixby |
| “Whether we got to Dallas, or whether we go anywhere you say,” Trump says, “our people are incredible.” | “Whether we got to Dallas, or whether we go anywhere you say,” Trump says, “our people are incredible.” |
| “And what’s our theme?” he asks the crowd rhetorically. | “And what’s our theme?” he asks the crowd rhetorically. |
| “Our theme - which I love! - may be the greatest theme of all time,” Trump says. “Make America great again!” | “Our theme - which I love! - may be the greatest theme of all time,” Trump says. “Make America great again!” |
| “South Carolina, we will never forget you! We will never forget you! We will never ever forget you! We will never forget all the people who helped us so much!” | “South Carolina, we will never forget you! We will never forget you! We will never ever forget you! We will never forget all the people who helped us so much!” |
| “Let’s put this thing away!” Trump shouts, and exits the stage. | “Let’s put this thing away!” Trump shouts, and exits the stage. |
| 2.04am GMT | 2.04am GMT |
| 02:04 | 02:04 |
| “We’re now off to Nevada - it’s a great state, and we’ve got great people,” Donald Trump says, preparing for the Nevada caucuses in just a few days. “The only thing that stops the crowds are the walls!” | “We’re now off to Nevada - it’s a great state, and we’ve got great people,” Donald Trump says, preparing for the Nevada caucuses in just a few days. “The only thing that stops the crowds are the walls!” |