Trump wins big in South Carolina, but Haley vows to press on

Former President Donald Trump secured a commanding victory in South Carolina’s GOP presidential primary on Saturday, extending his streak of triumphs through every Republican nominating contest thus far and positioning himself to potentially secure the party’s presidential nomination within the next month.

The defeat for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley comes as a significant setback in her home state. The primary allocated a total of 50 delegates, divided between the statewide winner and the victor in each congressional district.

Follow the American Bazaar’s complete coverage of the 2024 presidential campaign

However, the Indian American presidential candidate vowed to continue despite the losses. She posted on X:

“I’m a woman of my word. I’m not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Trump and Biden.

“In the next 10 days, 21 states and territories will speak. They have the right to a real choice, not a Soviet-style election with only one candidate. And I have a duty to give them that choice.”

I’m a woman of my word. I’m not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Trump and Biden.

In the next 10 days, 21 states and territories will speak. They have the right to a real choice, not a Soviet-style election with only one candidate. And I have…

— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) February 25, 2024

With nearly 86% of the votes counted, Trump received 59.9% of the votes, while Haley, who served as governor of the state for six years, received 39.4%.

READ: Haley vows not to drop out of White House race (February 21, 2024)

As the polls closed statewide at 7 p.m., The Associated Press declared Trump the winner. The decision was based on an analysis of AP VoteCast survey of Republican South Carolina primary voters. The survey corroborated the results of pre-Election Day polls, indicating Trump’s significant lead over Haley across the state.

Addressing supporters about an hour after the race was called, she said: “What I saw today was South Carolina’s frustration with our country’s direction. I’ve seen that same frustration nationwide.”

Expressing her commitment to continue in the race despite the setback, she stated, “I don’t believe Donald Trump can beat Joe Biden,” reaffirming, “I said earlier this week that no matter what happens in South Carolina, I would continue to run. I’m a woman of my word.”

Haley outlined her plans to move forward, announcing her intention to participate in Michigan’s primary on Tuesday, the last major contest before Super Tuesday. Nonetheless, doubts persist regarding her prospects of securing a victory or maintaining competitiveness in future contests.

READ: Haley vows to stay in the race against Trump (February 19, 2024)

Shortly after his triumph, in an interview with Fox News Digital, Trump suggested that she may not be fully committed to the race.

“I’m really thinking about we have to beat Joe Biden,” the former president told the conservative outlet. “I don’t know if she’s in the race at all, because, you know, I have set records in every single state. I’m not sure that she’s really in the race.”

“I was honored that I received the largest vote in the history of the state — I’m with Senator Lindsey Graham right now and he just told me we received the largest vote by double — we beat the last record,” he said. “So that’s a great compliment to all of the people and to making America great again.”