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It ultimately boiled down to this moment: Tonight, Nikki Haley had the opportunity to demonstrate that this is still a competitive race. However, she was unsuccessful.
Today, South Carolina held its primary election. This is the fifth Republican primary or caucus, following the previous victories of frontrunner Donald Trump in three other states and the US Virgin Islands. The focus now shifts to Ms. Haley’s home state.
In a different competition, a well-known governor who has served two terms and was previously a UN ambassador would typically be expected to win in her home state. However, Ms Haley is entering her election night watch party in Charleston with a 30-point deficit in all current polls and is still facing challenges in gaining support from the conservative Republican base, who are firmly supporting Mr Trump.
Ms. Haley is in desperate need of a miracle this evening. Her campaign is currently facing low poll numbers in every state as Super Tuesday approaches. While she has been able to raise funds at a rapid pace, she has not shown any indication of securing a win in any particular state.
To provide context, Donald Trump has emerged victorious in all states thus far and is projected to continue winning. In the 2016 election, he faced defeats in multiple states, such as Texas where Ted Cruz received the majority of delegates.
Despite the challenge, he emerged victorious.
Nikki Haley has stated that she will not withdraw from the presidential race until at least after Super Tuesday, despite South Carolina being one of the later nominating contests.
However, she had to demonstrate vitality this evening. The loss by 15 to 20 points in her own state will damage her claims of being electable and also hinder her progress. Supporters prefer to support candidates who are winning, rather than those without a viable path to securing the nomination.
Ms Haley had to demonstrate that this is a legitimate campaign, rather than just an attempt to offer GOP leaders an alternative in a contested convention.
The supporters of Haley who gathered at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant on Friday evening were fully aware of this. One individual even questioned to The Independent whether the GOP would seriously consider Ms. Haley if Mr. Trump were to be disqualified from the presidential race due to a criminal conviction, excessive legal expenses, or a combination of both.
As the sun set behind her, Nikki Haley concluded her tour of her home state on Friday. She stepped off her large tour bus, nicknamed the “Beast of the Southeast”, after a few successful honks (and a confession from Congressman Ralph Norman that they had missed their turn initially). Speaking to her supporters, who cheered when she playfully mentioned that Donald Trump had “banned” them from the Maga movement, Ms Haley reiterated her stance for the GOP to move forward from a former president who has been indicted 91 times. She strongly criticized him for devaluing the military service of American troops, including her own husband.
After casting her vote in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, Haley exchanges greetings with a supporter.
“Is it the best America can offer to have two candidates in their 80s?” she inquired the audience.
She took an offensive stance and added, “When you ridicule one member of the military, you are also ridiculing all members of the military… The issue at hand is that he has changed significantly since 2016. He is now unstable and has diminished in character.”
Individuals who previously supported the ex-governor and also identified as former Trump supporters, stated to The Independent that they concurred with Ms Haley’s portrayal of the ex-president as being out of touch, preoccupied with personal resentments, and incapable of letting go of his anger. It was evident that many of these individuals aligned with Ms Haley’s primary base within the Republican Party: those who oppose Trump and never fully embraced him in the same manner as the majority of their party did in 2016.
Alyssa and Donny Wingard, residents of South Carolina during Ms. Haley’s tenure as governor, expressed dismay at fellow Christian and conservative Republicans’ support for Donald Trump. Trump, who was found guilty by a jury in May of sexually abusing a woman in 1996, also faces four ongoing criminal cases and aggressively attacks any Republican who mentions this.
“I’m perplexed. Perplexed,” Alyssa reiterated, in conversation with The Independent following a scenic gathering led by the ex-governor as a sunset added color to the sky behind a large aircraft carrier at the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum.
She expressed frustration about Christians supporting Trump, questioning his daily actions that align with Christian beliefs.
They were present at Ms Haley’s campaign kick-off and had supported their ex-governor from the start.
Donny Wingard stated that she informs us of the necessary tasks and her approach in accomplishing them.
His wife maintained a pleasant demeanor as she tactfully avoided addressing the decision of Tim Scott, the Republican senator chosen by Ms. Haley in 2012, to support Mr. Trump following the end of his unsuccessful presidential campaign.
“I will follow her example,” Ms. Wingard said with a laugh. “Exiting with dignity.”
Some individuals in the audience revealed to The Independent that they had backed Mr Trump during his campaigns in 2016 and 2020. However, they are still a small group in their party, which continues to support Mr Trump after Saturday night. The previous governor held just below 40% of the votes in the state she had won twice before the race was officially called. At exactly 7pm, networks declared Mr Trump as the winner and he addressed a lively audience in Columbia.
Haley held a gathering to celebrate the election results in her hometown of South Carolina, despite her loss.
Ms. Haley’s event on election night was not very lively. The former governor did not inform her supporters about the watch party until the morning of the primary, which was too late to attract a large crowd at the Grand Ballroom in downtown Charleston, the capital city of the state. A small group of Haley supporters chanted her name a few times after she was declared the winner at 7pm, causing excitement among the journalists who rushed to capture photos of her actual supporters. The atmosphere was similar to a zoo, with cameras crowded together to snap pictures of rare animals in an enclosure. The number of attendees increased just before Ms. Haley was scheduled to speak.
An individual who previously supported Mr. Trump, but also supports Haley, informed The Independent that the former president’s behavior following his loss in the 2020 election demonstrated a decline.
Stephen Landrum stated that he previously supported Trump, but has since seen his true character. He believes that Trump’s popularity stems from his reputation as a fighter.
During his tenure as president, Mr. Landrum stated that the ex-president has revealed his true nature. He also criticized the leading Republican candidate for frequently engaging in confrontations with those who criticize or oppose him.
He stated, “I have doubts about his honesty. During his presidency, he was unable to maintain confidentiality on certain matters.”
According to Mr Landrum, in certain situations involving the police, it is best to remain silent. He used a hypothetical scenario to illustrate his point. He also mentioned that the individual in question was being combative and not considering how they could contribute to the betterment of the country.
Following Saturday, the competition moves across the nation. Ms. Haley is focusing on Michigan, as well as the Super Tuesday states such as California and Texas. However, one thing became evident after her loss in her own state: there is no indication that Ms. Haley will secure a victory in any state during the primary unless there is a significant change in the Republican Party’s voter base, specifically among conservative Republicans who make up the majority of her opponent’s supporters.
Exit polls illustrated why that will be difficult. Hardcore partisans are the most likely to turn out for statewide party primary elections, and that hasn’t changed in 2024. CNN’s exit surveys indicated Saturday evening that more than six in 10 of the voters who participated in South Carolina believe the 2020 election was stolen by Joe Biden; that result has been duplicated in every other primary so far.
Nikki Haley’s path to the nomination is now one of pure attrition. Absent an earthquake to shake up GOP voter sentiment going forward, her best hope is to wait and see whether Mr Trump’s mountain of legal issues drag him down to the point where a presidential run becomes unviable. Whether that will even happen before the primary concludes — if at all — remains a total mystery.
Nikki Haley saw the Palmetto State as an opportunity to defeat Donald Trump, but ultimately failed. As we approach the party’s June nominating convention, two uncertainties linger: Can anything sway Trump’s loyal supporters? And is Ms. Haley’s effort simply a costly and fruitless endeavor?
Source: independent.co.uk
