President Joe Biden, as expected, won most of the Democratic primary contests that took place on Super Tuesday — but he was also handed his first loss of the 2024 primary season, and at the hands of a candidate almost no one had heard of before Tuesday evening’s results rolled in.
Jason Palmer won the caucuses that took place Tuesday in the U.S. territory of American Samoa with 56% of the vote, earning four delegates to Biden’s two in that particular contest. Biden got 44% of the vote.
“Fox projects that Biden loses American Samoa Democratic Caucus to Jason Palmer. He is a self-described entrepreneur and investor. This is Biden’s first loss in the 2024 primaries. Palmer gets 4 delegates. Biden: 2,” Chad Pergram reported.
Fox projects that Biden loses American Samoa Democratic Caucus to Jason Palmer. He is a self-described entrepreneur and investor. This is Biden’s first loss in the 2024 primaries.
Palmer gets 4 delegates. Biden: 2.— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) March 6, 2024
The upset came as such a surprise that even major media outlets appeared unprepared for Palmer’s win.
CNN posted a graphic that included photos of the other two Democratic candidates — President Biden and Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) — but a generic face for Palmer.
“Joe Biden is losing to a guy that nobody’s heard of and that CNN doesn’t even have a picture of in the American Samoa caucus tonight,” Jasmine Keith posted.
Joe Biden is losing to a guy that nobody’s heard of and that CNN doesn’t even have a picture of in the American Samoa caucus tonight pic.twitter.com/p1xmkkoSlg
— Jasmine Keith (@Jasmine_Keith1) March 6, 2024
“BREAKING: Joe Biden has lost the American Samoa primary. A guy named Jason Palmer, who has less than 4k followers on X, beat him!” Alec Lace added.
BREAKING: Joe Biden has lost the American Samoa primary.
A guy named Jason Palmer, who has less than 4k followers on X, beat him! pic.twitter.com/G1RqaIpIk3
— Alec Lace (@AlecLace) March 6, 2024
Fox News anchor Bret Baier was caught off guard as well, reading off the news alert as it came in: ‘We just have a call now in American Samoa. President Biden will lose to Jason Palmer, a self-described entrepreneur and investor.”
“He is going to win the American Samoa Democratic caucus. This marks President Biden’s first loss in the 2024 primaries. Palmer takes four delegates. President Biden takes two,” Baier continued, and then paused briefly before adding, “I don’t even know who Jason Palmer is. But he is now the winner.”