Clinton suffers surprise loss in key US primary as Trump triumphs

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U.S. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton suffered a surprise loss to challenger Bernie Sanders in a major state primary March 8, as billionaire Donald Trump notched a trio of easy victories in the Republican presidential nomination race.

The former secretary of state slumped to defeat in the industrial rust belt state of Michigan, where Sanders snagged 49.9 percent of the vote compared to Clinton's 48.2 percent with almost all precincts already reported.

"This has been a fantastic night in Michigan," Sanders said shortly before the race was called in his favor.
However, Clinton handily defeated her rival in the southern Gulf state of Mississippi, thanks to a strong turnout by African-Americans.

And despite the upset, Clinton received a psychological boost by passing the half-way point in the race to reach the 2,382 delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination.

Nevertheless, even with the delegate math in Clinton's favor, Sanders's strong showing will reinvigorate his campaign, and raised questions about her ability to win key industrial states in the general election, such as Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont and self-described democratic socialist, has energized young voters with calls for greater economic equality and denunciations of what he sees as a corrupt U.S. political system.

Meanwhile, Trump shrugged off a barrage of negative advertising and intense efforts by the party establishment to derail his White House campaign to win primaries in Michigan and Mississippi, signaling to his rivals he can survive anything they throw at him.

He also emerged the victor of caucuses held in Hawaii.

"I don't think I've had so many horrible, horrible...

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