First Ever Face-off Between Former and Current US Presidents in 112 Years Confirmed... 'Unprecedentedly Unpopular' Election Kicks Off

Matchups Released 8 Months Before Haley's Resignation
Key to Winning Centrist Conservative Votes
Election Forecast: Choosing the Lesser Evil... Aging and Judicial Risks Persist

The 'return match' between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in the upcoming U.S. presidential election this November has been virtually confirmed. It is the first time in 112 years that a former and current U.S. president will face off in a presidential election. Local media such as the U.S. daily The New York Times (NYT) and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) predicted that this year's U.S. election will be a choice between the lesser of two unpopular candidates for voters. With both President Biden and former President Trump hampered by old age and legal risks, it cannot be ruled out that various variables may arise during the remaining eight months until the election.

Haley Withdraws After 'Super Tuesday' Defeat

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley announced on the 6th (local time) in her hometown and the state she once governed, Charleston, South Carolina, that she is withdrawing from the Republican presidential primary race. Haley said, "It is now time to stop the primary," adding, "I have no regrets." She emphasized, "I have always been a conservative Republican and have always supported Republican candidates."

While congratulating former President Trump on his victory, she did not immediately express support for him. Haley stated, "It is Trump's responsibility to win the votes of those who do not support him inside and outside our party," adding, "The best politics is to engage people in the cause, not to ignore them. Now it is his time to choose."

Haley, who had expressed her intention to complete the primary, surrendered after being completely defeated by former President Trump on 'Super Tuesday' the day before. Starting with the Republican Iowa caucus in January this year, Haley had garnered 20-30% support in primaries held in over 20 states. However, after suffering a significant defeat to former President Trump in her political stronghold of South Carolina last month, Wall Street support was cut off, and she faced pressure to withdraw. Subsequently, in the primaries held simultaneously in 15 states including Virginia, Texas, and California the day before, Haley only won in Vermont, failing to overturn Trump's dominant position, leading to her mid-primary withdrawal.

Biden and Trump Confirmed for Return Match... Centrist Conservative Votes Key

Thus, the lineup for the November election, featuring a face-off between two former and current presidents, was confirmed early. It is the first time in about 70 years that the same candidates have had a rematch in a U.S. presidential election, and the first time in 112 years that a former and current president have competed against each other.

The key question is where the votes of centrist moderates within the Republican Party, who supported former Ambassador Haley, will go. President Biden is trailing former President Trump in polls. To broaden his appeal in the general election, former President Trump must capture the votes of these centrist conservatives.

President Biden openly extended a love call to former Ambassador Haley. In a statement released that morning, he said, "Donald Trump has made it clear that he does not want Nikki Haley supporters," and added, "I want to make it clear that there is a place for them in my campaign." He is making a move to capture the centrist conservative vote.

On the other hand, former President Trump showed 'bitterness' toward former Ambassador Haley, who stayed in the race until Super Tuesday, unlike Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other Republican candidates who withdrew early. On his social media platform Truth Social, which he created, Trump said, "Nikki Haley was defeated in a record-breaking way for unknown reasons, despite Democrats being able to vote in Vermont and several other Republican primaries," and added, "I want to invite all Haley supporters to join the greatest movement in our country's history."

Old Age and Legal Risks Remain... Will This Be an Election to Choose the Lesser Evil?

Although the U.S. presidential lineup was confirmed early with eight months remaining until the election, significant risks still surround both candidates. President Biden, who is 81 years old this year, is hampered by frequent verbal slips and concerns about his age. According to a poll conducted by WSJ at the end of last month, 73% of respondents said Biden is "too old" to run for re-election. Former President Trump is younger than Biden but is still 77 years old and faces substantial legal risks, having been criminally indicted four times on 91 charges. It cannot be ruled out that various variables, including legal risks, may arise during the remaining eight months until the election.

Local U.S. media predict that this year's presidential election will be a competition between historically unpopular candidates. It is an election to choose the 'lesser evil' rather than the 'best.' The NYT also analyzed, "There will be a difficult fight lasting about eight months between two very unpopular presidential candidates," adding, "They are focused on running extremely negative campaigns against each other." The WSJ evaluated, "The U.S. has never had to choose between two candidates this old," and "It has never had to choose between two completely unpopular front-runners, one an incumbent and the other with White House experience."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.