Haley, at Much-Hyped Speech in South Carolina, Promises To Stay in the Race Through the End

Nikki Haley is promising to stay in the race no matter what happens in the South Carolina primary on Saturday, where she is poised to lose to President Trump.At an event billed as a “State of the Race” speech on Tuesday, Ms. Haley promised she would be “campaigning every day until the last person votes” and attacked Republicans who have bowed to Mr. Trump as well as political commentators focusing on her slim chance of winning the nomination.“They say I haven’t won a state, that my path to victory is slim. They point to the primary polls and say I’m only delaying the inevitable,” Ms. Haley said. “Look, I get it, in politics the herd mentality is enormously strong.”Ms. Haley went on to criticize members of her own party who initially opposed Mr. Trump and have since folded, coming out in support of the former president.“I feel no need to kiss the ring. I have no fear of Trump’s retribution. I’m not looking for anything from him. My own political future is of zero concern,” Ms. Haley said.In terms of a path to victory, Ms. Haley struck an optimistic tone, saying that despite all signs showing her barreling toward a defeat in her home state of South Carolina, she would stick it out until the end of the race.Ms. Haley also dismissed earlier speculation that she was hoping to be chosen as vice president for Mr. Trump, and that her campaign was aimed at setting her up for a future presidential run.“Some people used to say I was running because I really wanted to be vice president — I think I’ve pretty well settled that question,” Ms. Haley said. “Other people say I’m trying to set up a future presidential run. How does that even work?”Ms. Haley’s address comes just four days ahead of the South Carolina primary, where a survey from Emerson College Polling and the Hill released Tuesday shows that Ms. Haley is trailing Mr. Trump by 23 points.The survey found that 58 percent of likely South Carolina GOP voters support Mr. Trump, while just 35 percent said they support Ms. Haley. Another 7 percent were undecided. Ms. Haley did, however, lead among independent voters.“There is a divide among Republican and independent affiliated voters,” pollster Spencer Kimball said in a memo accompanying the poll. “Voters who affiliate as Republicans break for Trump over Haley, 71 percent [to] 29 percent, while voters who affiliate as Independent break for Nikki Haley 54 percent to 46 percent.”During her speech, Ms. Haley also lobbed some criticism at Mr. Trump, something many others in the GOP have avoided, such as attacking him for his denial of the 2020 election results and his electability.“We don’t anoint kings in this country. We have elections and Donald Trump of all people should know we don’t rig elections,” Ms. Haley said.“Trump is the only Republican Biden can beat. The Democrats know it, they don’t even try to conceal it. They don’t even try to conceal the glee at the prospect of running against Trump.”

Haley, at Much-Hyped Speech in South Carolina, Promises To Stay in the Race Through the End

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