OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former President Donald Trump won the Michigan Republican presidential primary on Tuesday night and wasted little time going after his rival Nikki Haley.
In a post on his social media website Truth Social, the 45th president tore into Haley and did not mince his words.
“Haley got trounced last night, losing the Great State of Michigan by over 42 Points. Looking forward to Super Tuesday where she is doing even worse, if that’s possible. I’m leading every State by over 60 Points! People don’t like her, and they know, as per the polls, that she can’t beat Biden, or any Democrat,” Trump said on Truth Social.
After losing every single state so far that has voted in the Republican presidential primary, Nikki Haley has finally admitted that it’s “very possible” that the GOP has moved away from her positions.
During an interview on CNN, Haley was asked about her struggling campaign and finally admitted that the party is standing with Trump — not her.
‘”Isn’t it possible the party has moved, and the party is about Donald Trump and not what you’re describing, which might be the party of yesterday?” CNN’s Dana Bash asked Haley.
“It is very possible. What I am saying to my Republican Party family is, we are in a ship with a hole in it, and we can either go down with the ship and watch the country go socialist left, or we can see that we need to take the life raft and move in a new direction,” Haley said.
Haley went on to claim that she’s staying in the race and plans to traverse more than half a dozen states over the next week, holding fundraisers and rallies as part of her commitment to staying in the contest.
“We’ve only seen a handful of states vote. I’ve said this before as much as the media wants to jump ahead, we’re taking this one state, one day at a time. I’m doing what I believe 70% of Americans want me to do,” Haley claimed.
After her resounding defeat in Tuesday’s Michigan GOP primary, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is calling on Haley to withdraw from the contest.
Gingrich urged the former ambassador to drop out of the race, citing her defeat in the GOP primary in Nevada, where Trump was not a candidate, as evidence that she was unable to win over the Trump wing of the party.
“She’s hanging around in case something happens to Trump, so she can then be the choice,” Gingrich said Tuesday night during his appearance on Fox News’ Sean Hannity show “Hannity.” “No MAGA Republican, no Trump dellegate is ever gonna pick Nikki Haley. They will pick any other dozen or 50 Republicans who are acceptable, but they aren’t going to pick her.
“And you saw that in Nevada, where she lost by two to one by none of these candidates. When none of these candidates beat you, by two to one, there’s a there’s a hint that maybe you’re in the wrong game this year. I hope she’ll drop out.”
“I hope she will become part of the effort to beat Joe Biden,” Gingrich said. “I do not think it’s helpful to have her out there and saying nasty things about the Republican nominee. And as far as I’m concerned, Donald Trump tonight is the Republican nominee. This is over and the issue is to focus on the general election, and why Trump would be a dramatically better president in 2025 than Joe Biden.”
For its part, Haley’s campaign is still pushing excuses as to why she is remaining in the race.
“Joe Biden is losing about 20 percent of the Democratic vote today, and many say it’s a sign of his weakness in November. Donald Trump is losing about 35 percent of the vote. That’s a flashing warning sign for Trump in November. Since Trump became president in 2016, he lost Michigan Republicans the state House, state Senate, and Governor’s mansion. What was once a beacon for the conservative cause, the Michigan Republican Party is now fractured and divided,” Haley’s campaign said in a statement.
Haley’s campaign added: “Let this serve as another warning sign that what has happened in Michigan will continue to play out across the country. So long as Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, Republicans will keep losing to the socialist left. Our children deserve better.”
