The Republicans donald trump and Nikki Haley They focused their attention on South Carolina for the next big contest to determine his party’s presidential candidate, after The former president will win in New Hampshire but without managing to eliminate his rival.
Trump’s back-to-back nominating election victories put him on track for a rematch in November’s general election with the Democratic president. Joe Biden. But Haley, who served as U.N. ambassador under Trump and is now his only opponent for the nomination, vowed to press ahead.
Both challengers are expected to intensify their attacks in South Carolina, with Trump, 77, seeking to embarrass Haley, 52, by defeating her in her home state and Haley seeking to surprise by reminding voters of her record as the state’s governor from 2011 to 2017.
Haley has three rallies scheduled in South Carolina in the coming days and her campaign launched two new ads as part of a $4 million ad buy in the state.
One of the ads criticizes Biden, 81, as “too old” and Trump as “too chaotic,” calling a repeat of the 2020 election a “rematch that no one wants.” Another ad says she created “thousands of jobs, lower taxes, tough immigration laws” as governor.
Mark Harrischief strategist for the SFA Fund, the main outside super PAC supporting Haley, said the group would make a multimillion-dollar ad buy across South Carolina that would air in the coming days.
He added that major donors were willing to give Haley a chance ahead of Super Tuesday on March 5, when Republicans vote in 15 states and one territory.
Harris said South Carolina’s election rules (voters do not need to be registered Republicans to vote in the primary) could benefit her.
Michigan, which holds a primary election just days after South Carolina, also represented fertile territory given that the state has a significant suburban population, a group with which Haley tends to do well, Harris said.
Republicans have largely rallied around Trump, pressuring Haley to retire. The billionaire has amassed the support of most of South Carolina’s leading Republican figures and opinion polls show him with a wide lead there.
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Tuesday night that she didn’t see a path forward for Haley.
“I think he’s run a great campaign,” McDaniel told Fox News. “But I do think there is a message coming out from voters that is very clear: We need to unite around our eventual nominee, which will be Donald Trump. And we need to make sure we beat Joe Biden.”
By Nathan Layne, Gram Slattery and James Oliphant, Reuters
Source: Ambito
