OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is vowing to remain in the race much longer despite losing to former President Donald Trump in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada.
During an interview on Fox News, Haley downplayed those losses and said she’s focused on the next major contest in the GOP nominating calendar — the primary later this month in her home state of South Carolina, as well as on Super Tuesday in early March.
Haley also whined about this week’s primary and caucus in Nevada, saying they weren’t “anything we were looking at” and charging that the caucus is “rigged” for Trump. Haley is also vowing to stay in the race until at least early March.
Host Neil Cavuto asked: “Things could change if he were convicted on any of these various counts. Depends on your point of view. But there’s one poll that’s interesting, that a felony conviction gives Joe Biden a seven-point swing. Right now down two points to Donald Trump, he could be up five points in the process. I guess what, the reason why I mention that, to some voters — I don’t know how many, Governor, it’s going to make a big difference if he’s convicted. Is that why you stay in this race, just in case he explodes?”
“I’m staying in this race. I mean, the court cases are an issue of itself. I’m staying in this race because Republicans cannot lose another general election. We lost in 2018. We lost in 2020. We lost in 2022. How many more times do you have to lose because of one person before you say maybe this isn’t a winning combination? That’s why I’m staying in. I’m staying in because I don’t want my kids to live like this. I don’t want anybody else’s kids to live like this,” Haley began.
“We’ve got to start really focusing on what matters. America is too distracted. And when America is distracted, the world is less safe. And we’re seeing that play out in front of us. We have to wake up and say now is the time to right the ship. Now is the time — I have no issues with Donald Trump. I voted for him twice. I was proud to serve America and his administration. This isn’t personal for me,” Haley added.
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Cavuto then asked: “Now, maybe in good humor, good fun, you have been zinging him lately on the grumpy old men thing, two old guys going at it, you’ve had enough of that. He comes back, his people come back, you’re overdoing it. Other party types say you’re hurting the party, and if he’s the nominee, you’ll damage him. What do you say to that?”
“I think it’s the hard truth. I mean, you can’t have 70 percent of Americans who say they don’t want a Trump rematch — Trump-Biden rematch. The majority of Americans dislike Trump,” Haley said.
She added: “The majority of Americans dislike Biden. Both of those men put us trillions of dollars in debt that our kids are never going to forgive us for. And we’ve got a country in disarray and a world on fire. Are we really going to have our two candidates be two men in their 80s? When you need someone who can run eight years disciplined, focused, ready to get to work and get things done. That’s not being disrespectful. That’s just being factual. And then you go and you look at the fact that every single general election poll, he’s down seven points, he’s down nine points on Biden”
“In some, he comes in margin of error. I defeat Joe Biden by up to 17 points. The poll that came out yesterday, I defeat him by 13 points. That’s what this is about. There will be a female president of the United States. It will either be me or Kamala Harris. If Donald Trump is the nominee of the Republican Party, we will have a President Kamala Harris. That’s just a fact,” she concluded.
