BYE-DEN
Joe Biden loses to dark horse Jason Palmer in Super Tuesday Democratic primary as voters hail ‘cheers to American Samoa’
Voters rushed to social media with questions about Palmer and his surprising victory
PRESIDENT Joe Biden suffered a stunning Super Tuesday defeat as underdog candidate Jason Palmer won American Samoa's caucus.
Palmer is the youngest Democrat in the race at age 52 and he scored a clear victory in the US territory.
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Palmer, a Baltimore businessman, won 51 of the 91 ballots cast, while 40 went for Biden.
"Honored to announce my victory in the American Samoa presidential primary," Palmer wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"Thank you to the incredible community for your support.
"This win is a testament to the power of our voices. Together, we can rebuild the American Dream and shape a brighter future for all."
As a US territory, American Samoa doesn’t have electoral votes in the general election but six delegates were up for grabs.
Palmer said he learned that he won when he got a flurry of messages from friends and campaign staff.
“I found out that I had won because my phone started blowing up with friends and campaign staffers texting me,” Palmer told
He said that he had never visited the territory before the caucus but spent time getting to know the community and their needs.
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“I have been campaigning remotely, doing Zoom town halls, talking to people, listening to them about their concerns and what matters to them,” he said.
'CHEERS TO AMERICAN SAMOA'
People were stunned that Palmer defeated the current-sitting president in the primary.
"Jason Palmer you have shocked the nation," one person .
"MSNBC has called American Samoa for Jason Palmer let’s go!!!!!" another user.
"We love you American Samoa," a third alongside a screenshot of the vote percentages.
"Oh man, cheers to American Samoa for not giving it outright to Joe Biden," a third excited voter wrote.
Southern border shows a ‘disturbing’ failure in Joe Biden’s duty to Americans slams youngest Dem presidential candidate
Biden didn't acknowledge the defeat in a post on X.
He instead took aim at the ex-president, saying Americans need to defend democracy from Donald Trump.
"Today, millions of voters across the country made their voices heard—showing that they are ready to fight back against Donald Trump’s extreme plan to take us backwards," he .
"Every generation of Americans will face a moment when it has to defend democracy. This is our fight."
PALMER'S PLANS
In an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun, Palmer slammed Biden's work at the border and claimed that if elected he would implement a more human version of Remain in Mexico.
What is Super Tuesday?
And what it means for the general election.
- Before the national general election is held on November 5, 2024, states hold primary elections where voters of each party can select that party's nominee
- The results of these primaries will dictate which candidate becomes the official nominee for both the Republican and Democratic Party at their national conventions in the summer
- On Super Tuesday, primaries are held in 15 states plus American Samoa, representing about one-third of the national electorate
- Because of how many primaries are held on Super Tuesday, the results are a reliable indicator of who will be each party's eventual nominee
- Presidential candidates who aren't nominated can still be represented by a third party, but a third-party candidate has never won an election
“The southern border is a national disaster,” Palmer said.
“Our communities are strained and the situation is neither humane nor secure.
“It shows a disturbing dereliction of presidential duty."
Republicans have repeatedly blamed Biden for the border crisis, and immigration will be among the top issues that will get voters to the polls in November.
The Democratic dark horse explained what he would do to right the issue.
“We need to modernize our southern border and surge not just for border control agents,” Palmer said.
He has called for hundreds more asylum judges so that cases can be processed faster.
A decision on an asylum application should be made within 180 days, according to .
“It makes no sense to catch and release people who come across the border claiming asylum. All cases need to be processed within one week,” he said.
However, Palmer noted that modernizing a border would not be easy.
“It requires implementing a variety of ideas to dramatically improve asylum processing such as safe mobility offices for migrants in third countries,” he said.
He also urged government officials to work with other nations and use their voices internationally to establish the root causes of migration.
SUPER TUESDAY RESULTS
Other than American Samoa, Biden won in the other Democratic primaries that have been tallied so far.
His GOP rival, Trump, secured victories in a slew of Republican primaries, including California, Colorado, Alabama, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Maine, Oklahoma, Virginia, Tennessee, Texas, Minnesota, and Arkansas.
Alaska and Utah have also been projected for Trump.
The tycoon has clinched more than 900 delegates in the race for the Republican nomination.
A total of 1,215 delegates is needed to formally put an end to the contest.
March 19 could see Trump seal the deal in the race for the nomination.
Trump lapped up his Super Tuesday success in an address at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
His sole challenger, Nikki Haley, who sat at home and watched the results roll in with her staff, has lost every state so far except Vermont.
She broke her silence late Tuesday evening, sharing a statement saying that she had become the first Republican woman to win two presidential primary contests.
“We’re honored to have received the support of millions of Americans across the country today, including in Vermont where Nikki became the first Republican woman to win two presidential primary contests," her campaign wrote.
"Unity is not achieved by simply claiming ‘we’re united.’
"Today, in state after state, there remains a large block of Republican primary voters who are expressing deep concerns about Donald Trump.
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"That is not the unity our party needs for success. Addressing those voters’ concerns will make the Republican Party and America better.”
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What is the Electoral College?
And why swing states are important.
- The Electoral College is the body of 538 electors divided among the states who select the next president of the United States
- To become president, a candidate must win a majority of 270 electoral votes
- Every state is assigned one elector for each of its representatives in the House, plus an additional two reflecting the state's senators
- In most cases, a presidential candidate will be awarded all the electors in a state if they win the state's popular vote. Electors who vote against the state's popular vote winner are called faithless electors
- Many states will be virtual shoe-ins for the Democratic candidate (such as New York and California) or the Republican candidate (such as Texas and Missouri), while a minority are genuinely up for grabs by either candidate
- These states, known as purple or swing states, are the main targets for presidential candidates
- The parties' candidates are chosen in primary elections throughout the first half of the election year, including Super Tuesday, and officially nominated at party conventions in the summer
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