The substantial primary win secured by Donald Trump on Saturday against Nikki Haley in her native South Carolina was attributed to a calculated and methodical campaign aimed at neutralizing her as a formidable contender, as stated by aides and individuals closely associated with both campaigns. The victory was a stinging defeat for the former governor, who had been counting on her native state to give her a boost in her quest to become the Republican nominee for president. Haley is a former ambassador to the United Nations, and her tenure in the post gave her a robust New York base and access to wealthy donors.
Those assets, combined with her two terms as governor, were expected to be enough to propel her to the top of the pack. But in the end, it wasn’t enough to overcome Trump’s soaring momentum and dominance among conservative voters, who made up almost all of the Republican vote in the state. Haley did better than expected in the primary, particularly among women and those without a college degree, but her margin of defeat was massive.
Trump won the majority of the white vote and all the votes from men, including those registered as independents. He also won most of the votes from those who described themselves as affiliated with the MAGA movement and a clear majority of all Republicans, including many of those who were open to voting for someone else. But he lost some of the support he enjoyed in the state in 2016 when he won with more than 50% of the white vote and all but one of the votes from men.
The defeat puts a severe damper on Haley’s bid for the nomination and may prompt some of her backers to reconsider their support. But she remains defiant in her refusal to drop out of the race, and she will continue to campaign ahead of Super Tuesday on March 5, when a third of all GOP delegates are up for grabs across 15 states and one U.S. territory.
However, some of her supporters have already begun to waver, and her Small Business Freedom PAC has raised less than it thought it would in recent weeks. That shortfall will likely force the group to focus more on Michigan and other states that follow it in the primary calendar. But others are urging Haley to stick around, saying she is a stronger candidate against Democratic President Joe Biden in the general election and that dropping out now will only strengthen Trump’s grip on the party apparatus. Regardless, her campaign is putting on a robust display in Michigan, where she will host a rally on Sunday and continue to air television ads. She also plans to hold a Monday event in Grand Rapids, a western Michigan Republican hub.
