Trump-backed candidates win South Carolina and Oklahoma Republican runoffs

US President Donald Trump secured two crucial victories on Tuesday, as his endorsed candidates won Republican runoff elections in South Carolina and Oklahoma. The wins come at a time when Trump’s campaign has faced a series of setbacks, with his preferred candidates losing ten Republican contests this cycle, including six in the past fortnight.

The South Carolina runoff saw Trump’s chosen candidate triumph over a local rival, while the Oklahoma race concluded with his pick defeating an incumbent. These results interrupt a broader trend of losses that have dented Trump’s standing, reflected in a noticeable decline in his approval ratings across the country.

With the two wins, Trump’s team regains a foothold in the primary field, though the overall trajectory of the campaign remains uncertain. The outcomes underscore the volatility of the current election cycle and the challenges facing the former president’s supporters as they navigate the remaining contests.