Former President Donald Trump triumphed in caucuses held in Idaho and Missouri, along with sweeping the delegate haul at a party convention in Michigan.
Trump's victory in these contests further solidified his lead, bringing his delegate count to 244 compared to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley's 24, out of the necessary 1,215 delegates required for clinching the Republican nomination.
The Michigan Republican Convention, held in Grand Rapids, witnessed Trump securing all 39 allocated delegates out of the state's 55 GOP presidential delegates. However, a notable portion of the party's grassroots force abstained from the gathering due to an ongoing dispute over the party's leadership. Trump previously claimed victory in Michigan's primary with 68% of the vote against Haley's 27%.
Meanwhile, in Missouri, voters gathered outside a church in Columbia for the caucuses, where supporters of the candidates made their appeals. While Trump loyalists emphasized his stance on key issues, others like Christensen, a local attendee, urged Republicans to seek a new direction, expressing concerns over Trump's personal conduct.
The caucus saw minimal discussion after participants aligned themselves with either Trump or Haley, marking the first test of the new volunteer-run system implemented by the Republican Party.
In Idaho, confusion arose after legislation intended to streamline the state's primaries inadvertently eliminated the presidential primaries altogether. With no time to reinstate the primaries, both parties resorted to caucuses. Despite the confusion, voters like John Graves expressed satisfaction with the caucus process, anticipating Trump's dominance in the conservative state.
