Campaign

Haley vows to stay in race against Trump: ‘I’m not going anywhere’

by Julia Manchester - 02/20/24 12:38 PM ET

Nikki Haley on Tuesday vowed to stay in the Republican presidential primary race against former President Trump, telling a crowd in her home state of South Carolina that she refuses to quit.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Haley said speaking in Greenville. “I’m not afraid to say the hard truths out loud. 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.”

Haley went on to compare her race against Trump to David and Goliath and pushed back against the notion that she is running for vice president or setting up a run for a future presidential cycle.

Her comments come just days before she is set to face off against Trump in South Carolina on Saturday. The Hill’s Decision Desk HQ polling average shows Trump massively leading Haley by 31 points.

Before Haley’s remarks on Tuesday, Trump’s campaign rolled out a memo predicting that “the end is near for Nikki Haley.”

“Of course, like any wailing loser hell-bent on an alternative reality and refusing to come to grips with her imminent political mortality, we should expect more references to Kings and Coronations — even though the results of 5 elections overwhelmingly sent an unmistaken message: Nikki Haley doesn’t represent Republicans any more than Joe Biden does,” Trump’s campaign wrote.

However, Haley said she will remain in the race after the primary.

“South Carolina will vote on Saturday, but on Sunday I will still be running for president,” Haley said.

Haley went on to hit Trump and President Biden over their age and mental acuity, saying they were “at risk for dementia” and are “dividers.”

“Trump and Biden are two old men who are only getting older. Nearly 60 percent of Americans say Trump and Biden are both too old to be president. Because they are,” Haley said.

“Joe Biden is doing more damage to himself than any Republican ever could,” she said. “The Democrats are getting weaker by holding a coronation for Biden. Republicans will get stronger through a vigorous competition.”

“If the race ended today, we would have the longest general election in history,” she said.

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She also choked up talking about her husband Michael Haley, who is currently deployed abroad with the South Carolina Army National Guard. Her comments about him came after Trump took a swipe at Haley during a recent campaign event by asking why her husband isn’t with her on the campaign trail.

While Haley is trailing Trump in South Carolina and nationally, polls show her beating Biden in a head-to-head match-up. The Hill’s Decision Desk HQ polling average shows her leading the president by 0.4 percent.

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