Donald Trump has been confirmed as the Republican Party's presidential candidate for a third successive election after Nikki Haley quit the race.
Haley's move cedes the GOP nomination to the former President, who will now face off against Joe Biden in a 2020 rematch.
Trump tallied up 995 delegates yesterday, just short of the number needed to officially win the nomination.
Haley languishes behind in a distant second place with just 89 after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and anti-woke entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy also pulled out of the contest in January.
Nikki Haley's move has ceded the Republican nomination to Donald Trump
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The 45th President last night emerged victorious in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee Texas, Utah and Virginia.
However, Haley managed to add a second primary victory to her list after coming out on top in liberal-leaning Vermont.
The former South Carolina Governor confirmed her decision to drop out of the race in Charleston.
She said: "I am filled with gratitude for the outpouring of support we’ve received from all across our great country, but the time has now come to suspend my campaign."
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Nikki Haley will make the official announcement at 10am ET (3pm GMT)
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Haley, who previously served as Trump's UN Ambassador, added: "Our world is on fire because of America’s retreat.
"Standing by our allies in Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan is a moral imperative.
"But it’s also more than that. If we retreat further, there will be more war, not less."
Haley's campaign got off to a slow start but she appeared to gain momentum last summer following a series of strong performances in GOP debates contested by Trump's Republican rivals.
However, a set of early primary contests showed she was facing an uphill struggle to defeat Trump, with a third-place finish in Iowa and a hammer-blow defeat against "none of these candidates" in Nevada.
Donald Trump will face off against his 2020 opponent once again
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Haley refused to formally endorse Trump following her campaign being pulled, saying: "I congratulate him and wish him well."
But Joe Biden appeared to make a pitch to Haley's more moderate conservative voters.
In a statement, the 46th President said: "Trump made it clear he doesn’t want Nikki Haley’s supporters.
"I want to be clear: There is a place for them in my campaign. I know there is a lot we won’t agree on.
"But on the fundamental issues of preserving American democracy, on standing up for the rule of law, on treating each other with decency and dignity and respect, on preserving NATO and standing up to American’s adversaries, I hope and believe we can find common ground."
Trump appears to have courted conservative figures following his emphatic victory, with RNC chair Ronna McDaniel congratulating the 45th President and Senate leader Mitch McConnell endorsing his third White House campaign.
