The lone remaining Republican challenger to former President Donald J. Trump in the 2024 presidential primary said she will not drop out of the race even if she loses the Saturday primary in her home state of South Carolina.
“Some of you — perhaps a few of you in the media — came here today to see if I’m dropping out of the race. Well, I’m not. Far from it, and I’m here to tell you why,” Nimrata “Nikki” Haley said at a campaign stop in Greenville. “I’m running for President because we have a country to save. Since the star of my campaign, I’ve been focused on the real issues our country faces. The ones that determine whether America will thrive or spiral out.”
Those issues include education, the economy, the open border, and crime in American cities.
Haley further confirmed for The Associated Press that not only does she not plan on remaining in the race, but she plans to spend a small fortune on advertisements in Michigan, the next state to host its presidential primary.
“Ten days after South Carolina, another 20 states vote. I mean, this isn’t Russia. We don’t want someone to go in and just get 99% of the vote,” she reportedly said. “What is the rush? Why is everybody so panicked about me having to get out of this race?”
In response to whether she thinks she will win a primary in any state on the campaign trail, Haley deflected to Trump’s ongoing legal battles.
“Instead of asking me what states I’m gonna win, why don’t we ask how he’s gonna win a general election after spending a full year in a courtroom?” she said.
According to The Associated Press, Haley plans to spend $500,000 on television advertisements in Michigan, where the primary election will be held on February 27.
Haley’s chances appear grim in both states.
According to poll aggregator FiveThirtyEight, Trump leads Haley by 30 in South Carolina, garnering 63.6 percent of the vote to Haley’s 33.2 percent.
The polling looks worse for Haley in Michigan, where Trump’s aggregate lead is a whopping 61 points, 80.8 percent to Haley’s 19 percent.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter/X.
Photo “Nikki Haley” by Nikki Haley.
