Joe Biden, Donald Trump clinch nominations, kicking off grueling US presidential rematch
- The US is set for its first presidential rematch in nearly 70 years, with Joe Biden taking on Donald Trump
- They each won enough delegates in Tuesday’s round of state primaries to clinch their parties’ nomination
US President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump both clinched their parties’ nomination on Tuesday, kicking off the first US presidential election rematch in nearly 70 years.
Biden needed 1,968 delegates to win the nomination, and he passed that number on Tuesday night as results began to come in from the primary contest in Georgia, Edison Research said. Results were also coming in from Mississippi, Washington state, the Northern Mariana Islands and Democrats living abroad.
Hours later, Trump clinched the 1,215 delegates required to secure the Republican presidential nomination as four states held contests, including Georgia, the battleground where Trump faces criminal charges for his efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 results.
There were 161 delegates at stake on Tuesday in Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi and Washington state.
Biden, 81, issued a statement after he sealed the Democratic nomination, taking aim at what he called Trump’s “campaign of resentment, revenge, and retribution that threatens the very idea of America”.
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Biden attacks presidential challenger Trump during high-stakes State of the Union speech
“Voters now have a choice to make about the future of this country. Are we going to stand up and defend our democracy or let others tear it down? Will we restore the right to choose and protect our freedoms or let extremists take them away?” he said.