(NewsNation) — Former President Donald Trump clinched the Republican nomination for the nation’s highest office Tuesday night with a primary election victory in Washington state, Decision Desk HQ is projecting.
Trump’s victory in Tuesday’s election garnered him the necessary 1,215 delegates needed to secure his party’s nomination. Trump had already turned his attention to a rematch with President Joe Biden after winning 14 of 15 states in last week’s Super Tuesday” round of contests, which forced former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to drop out of the race.
Entering Tuesday’s primary elections in Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, and Washington state, Trump needed only 139 delegates to become the Republican nominee.
Biden also secured the Democratic nomination on Tuesday after beginning the week 113 delegates short of reaching the necessary 1,968.
With both candidates in line to move ahead as their respective party’s nominee, November’s general election sets up the first presidential rematch since 1956.
Trump currently faces 91 criminal charges and has been indicted four times, including on charges of conspiracy connected to overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election. Trump is scheduled to stand trial on several cases, including the election interference matter and a federal classified documents case.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in April over whether former presidents can face prosecution for conduct tied to their official duties.
With Decision Desk HQ projecting Trump to collect enough delegates to secure the nomination, the former president will head to the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin in mid-July, where he will be expected to accept the nomination and head into the stretch run leading up to November.
