John AdoyiAs the crucial Saturday primary in South Carolina approaches, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has declared her intention to continue her bid for the Republican presidential nomination, despite trailing behind former President Donald Trump in her home state of South Carolina which is where the next Republican Party’s Primary train will stop.
Various polls indicate a significant lead for Trump, putting pressure on Haley to suspend her campaign and support the former president.
Addressing supporters in Greenville on Tuesday, Haley affirmed her ambition of getting to the Whitehouse, stating, “South Carolina will vote on Saturday, but on Sunday I’ll still be running for President.” She likened her campaign to the biblical story of David and Goliath, rejecting assertions that she is seeking the vice-presidential position under Trump. “If I was running for a bogus reason, I would have dropped out a long time ago,” she asserted. “The rest of the fellas already did that… But I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere.”
Haley, 52, who served as South Carolina’s first female governor from 2011 to 2017, faces a significant deficit in polling, trailing Trump by approximately 31 points according to The Hill-Decision Desk HQ. Having lost the first two primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire, Haley acknowledges the challenging position she is in as the only candidate standing between Trump and the Republican Party’s presidential ticket.
Despite the setbacks, Haley remains determined, planning to stay in the race at least until Super Tuesday, when a significant number of states hold their primaries. This year, Super Tuesday is on March 5 and 15 states are involved. Refusing to bow to pressure to withdraw, she emphasized the support she is receiving, stating, “We’re having hundreds of people show up at our rallies every single day. And we’re getting people to the polls, and that’s what matters.”
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In response to calls from fellow Republicans to suspend her campaign, Haley criticized what she called a “herd mentality” in politics, accusing some politicians of privately dreading Trump while publicly embracing him. “Well, I’m not afraid to say the hard truth out loud. I feel no need to kiss the ring. I have no fear of Trump’s retribution,” she declared.
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign expressed confidence in Haley’s impending exit from the race, calling her a “wailing loser hell-bent on an alternative reality and refusing to come to grips with her imminent political mortality.” Despite these criticisms, Haley remains resolute, determined to continue her campaign and challenge Trump for the Republican nomination.
She has been banking on the people of her home of South Carolina to come through for her. The polls showing her trailing Donald Trump does not spell good for her.
Meanwhile, she once remarked that even if she loses South Carolina, she will still beat Trump to the party nomination.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
