KIAWAH ISLAND, South Carolina — Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley cast a ballot for herself in the South Carolina GOP primary and made pointed criticisms against former President Donald Trump, the front-runner in the race.
Haley was flanked by her mother in a wheelchair, son, daughter, son-in-law, and sister-in-law as she arrived at The Sandcastle to vote for herself on a mildly cold but sunny day.
In this private gated island, roughly 21 miles south of Charleston, voters at the polling site held signs in support of the former two-term Palmetto State governor and cheered as she entered to vote. Other non-voters milled about riding their bikes, jogging, and walking their dogs.
“The main thing I’ll say is I’m truly just grateful. I have so much gratitude today,” Haley told the press after she voted. “I feel incredibly blessed. Blessed to be surrounded by family. Blessed to have a husband who is serving and sacrificing but blessed to have this moment.”
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Haley cited her mother’s struggles as a woman born in India who was limited by gender standards and her ability to watch Haley run for a presidential race as another reason she felt blessed.
Trump leads Haley in Palmetto State and is on track to win the primary later Saturday night. But Haley again claimed she will continue to run and will travel to Michigan on Sunday.
“We’re going to be campaigning all day today. And then we’re going to keep going all the way through Super Tuesday,” said Haley. “That’s as far as I’ve thought in terms of going forward.”
“Look, my whole goal for running is because you have a majority of Americans who were saying they don’t want Donald Trump, and they don’t want Joe Biden,” Haley continued. “So as long as you have a majority of Americans saying, please give us a choice, I’m going to continue to fight. I am not going anywhere.”
Haley’s supporters in South Carolina told the Washington Examiner they agreed with the former ambassador’s tenacity.
“I wish she would continue,” said Maryann Chipwoot, 73, a Berkeley County, South Carolina resident. “I did vote, and I hope my vote counts.”
Other voters were preemptively disappointed with Trump’s lead in the primary.
A Haley loss would be “a sad statement on the people of South Carolina,” said Rick Stone, 71, a Saint Helena, South Carolina resident.
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Trump’s campaign, however, is continually pounding Haley to drop out of the primary. They cite a losing streak of four previous nominating contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and the U.S. Virgin Islands and unfavorable delegate math as reasons Haley cannot win against Trump.
“Nikki Haley’s delusion is clouding her judgment, and she is no longer living in reality,” said Steven Cheung, Trump spokesman, in a statement Saturday morning. “She continues to gaslight voters and the media into believing she has a chance to win her home state of South Carolina and other states when she hasn’t received any type of real support or shown even a shred of momentum. She can’t name one state she can win, let alone be competitive in.”
“The primary ends tonight, and it is time to turn to the general election so we can defeat Crooked Joe and end his assault on the American people,” Cheung concluded.