DONALD TRUMP TRIUMPHANT IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Donald Trump led a robust rebuke of the “Republican” establishment in early-voting South Carolina on Saturday – staving off a flood of negative attacks from multiple rivals to win his second consecutive GOP primary election.

He also picked up a big batch of delegates to the “Republican” national convention this summer …

“South Carolina, we will never forget you,” Trump said in his victory speech.

Trump was declared the winner almost as soon as the Palmetto polls closed – similar to what happened in New Hampshire, where he also enjoyed a sizable lead in the polls.

As it was in the Granite State, the real battle in the Palmetto State was over who finished in second place.  With 98 percent of precincts reporting, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida was clinging to a narrow lead over U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.

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Like Trump, Cruz is loathed by the GOP establishment – which signaled its anointment of Rubio as the status quo standard-bearer when S.C. governor Nikki Haley lent her embrace to his campaign earlier this week.  The previous month, Haley was selected by “Republican” leaders in Washington, D.C. to respond to president Barack Obama‘s final “State of the Union” address.

Her speech was a rebuke of the “angry voices” within the GOP – an obvious reference to Trump and Cruz.

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