Feel the Nikmentum

I do think that as long as Donald Trump is not technically the GOP 2024 presidential candidate yet, a lot of the media can keep pretending that what’s happening in this country at the moment isn’t really happening.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley will lose Nevada’s nonbinding Republican primary to “none of these candidates,” an embarrassing defeat in a contest that did not feature former President Donald Trump on the ballot.

The outcome likely reflects many GOP voters’ preference for Trump in a state that gives them the option to express their dissatisfaction with all of the candidates on the ballot.

“Even Donald Trump knows that when you play penny slots the house wins. We didn’t bother to play a game rigged for Trump. We’re full steam ahead in South Carolina and beyond,” Haley campaign spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said in a statement to CNN. Haley is projected to receive the second-most votes in the primary.

The GOP primary carried little weight, because state Republicans opted to award their delegates through party-run caucuses, which Trump is expected to win Thursday. The party barred those participating in the primary, including Haley, from being eligible for the caucuses, which means Trump will face little competition.

Still, the outcome is an ignominious one for Haley, who is seeking to prove to Republican donors and voters that she remains a viable contender ahead of her next head-to-head contest with Trump in the February 24 South Carolina primary.

Donald Trump’s trial in federal court for trying to overthrow the government will now probably start sometime this spring, and run into perhaps the middle of the summer. By the time there’s a verdict he will officially be the GOP’s candidate for president. At that point, I suppose, everyone can stop pretending.