Nikki Haley will head to Michigan on Sunday after suffering a decisive loss in her home state of South Carolina, her fourth straight defeat in the Republican presidential primary. Donald Trump continued his unbeaten streak in South Carolina with a double-digit margin, further solidifying his hold on the Republican Party and raising more questions about Haley’s decision to stay in the primary.
Speaking to supporters at an election night party in Charleston on Saturday, Haley subtly framed her candidacy as a response to the many voters unhappy with a possible November rematch between Trump and Joe Biden. moral responsibility.
“I said earlier this week that no matter what happens in South Carolina, I will continue to run for president. I am a woman of my word,” Haley said. “In the next 10 days, another 21 states and territories will speak. They have the right to a real choice, not a Soviet-style election with just one candidate. It is my duty to give them that choice.”
The Haley campaign announced Friday it will launch a seven-figure ad buy in Super Tuesday states, with the candidate ralliing in Troy, Miss., on Sunday night. Haley’s donors are showing no signs of giving up on her, either, with her raising $11.5 million in January alone, her most fundraising month to date. Haley actually outraised Trump last month, with the former president’s campaign taking in $8.8 million in January, federal documents show.
But Haley is unlikely to break her losing streak in Michigan, which holds its primary on Tuesday. A recent Morning Consult poll showed Trump leading Haley by 60 points in the Midwestern state, 79% to 19%. Trump delivered a victory speech in Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday night and is expected to continue his winning streak in Michigan and the 15 states that will vote on “Super Tuesday” on March 5.
“Michigan is up. We’re going to have great success there,” Trump said. “South Carolina, thank you so much. Come home. Rest. We have a lot of work to do.”
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Trump allies have expressed growing anger over Haley’s entry into the race, accusing her big donors of backing her struggling campaign, but Haley continues to insist she is better positioned to defeat Biden in November. A Marquette Law School poll this month showed Haley leading Biden by 16 points among registered voters, while Trump led the incumbent by just 4 points among the same group.
“What I saw today was a sense of frustration in South Carolina with the direction of our country. I see the same frustration across the country. I share it. I feel it deep down,” Haley said in Charleston .
“But here’s the thing: If we make the wrong choice, America will be divided. This has never been about me or my political future. We need to defeat Joe Biden in November. I don’t believe in Donald Trump To be able to beat Joe Biden.”
