WASHINGTON – DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz issued the following statement on the results of the Republican primary in South Carolina:

“After Donald Trump’s decisive GOP primary victories in both New Hampshire and South Carolina, and Ted Cruz’s victory in Iowa, there is no longer any question over just how out-of-touch and extreme today’s Republican party has become.

“Despite their best efforts to disrupt Trump’s momentum, the rest of the Republican field has faltered even as they’ve spewed campaign rhetoric as extreme as his. Whether it’s Ben Carson's daily confusion and reports that he is running out of cash or Marco Rubio’s growing desperation to spin his way out of three consecutive losses — even with the endorsement of South Carolina’s popular governor, the once Grand Old Party is now the Party of Trump.

“The Republican Party’s problems extend beyond the primary. Exit polls showing that Nikki Haley’s highly sought-after endorsement barely registered as a factor for 72% of South Carolina voters will severely damage any chance she had of being tapped as a Vice Presidential running mate. And after painting themselves as the new faces of the party, South Carolina’s Republicans responded by strengthening Trump’s extreme grip over the GOP. Trump’s win sends a powerful message: that the Republican Party has rejected the values of the American people, making it all the more clear that we must elect a Democrat as the 45th President of the United States to keep America moving forward.”