Donald Trump and Nikki Haley's Chances in South Carolina Primary

Donald Trump has a commanding lead in the upcoming Republican South Carolina presidential primary, according to a study of recent polling by political analysis website FiveThirtyEight.

The most recent FiveThirtyEight forecast, released on January 24, has Trump as the preferred candidate of 62.2 percent of likely South Carolina GOP primary voters, ahead of the state's former governor, Nikki Haley, on 25 percent.

Trump scored a convincing win in the Republican Iowa caucus on January 15, beating Ron DeSantis by 51 percent of the vote versus 21.2 percent, shortly after which the Florida governor dropped out and endorsed the former president. Eight days later, Trump also won the New Hampshire primary, though by a narrower margin, with 54.3 percent of the vote against 43.3 percent for Haley.

The South Carolina primary, which takes place in Haley's home state on February 24, will be the next vote in the Republican contest to determine the party's 2024 presidential nominee.

A Fabrizio, Lee & Associates poll of 600 likely South Carolina Republican voters put Trump ahead of Haley by 68 percent of the vote against 28 percent. The survey, which was sponsored by the pro-Trump "Make America Great Again Inc." Super Pac, took place between January 17 and 18.

Between January 2 and 3, Emerson College polled 584 likely GOP primary voters in South Carolina, finding 54 percent backed Trump versus 25 percent for Haley.

Newsweek has contacted Donald Trump representatives and Nikki Haley's 2024 presidential campaign for comment by email.

Following her narrow defeat in New Hampshire, Haley insisted she isn't dropping out of the 2024 race following a call to do so from Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel.

Speaking in North Charleston, South Carolina, on Wednesday evening, Haley claimed she had raised another $1 million since announcing her intention to fight on the night before. She said: "We have had 200,000 donors from all 50 states, 95 percent of those donations are $200 or less. This is about real Americans."

However, in a post on his Truth Social website, Trump warned that anyone who contributes to Haley's campaign will "be permanently barred from the MAGA camp."

Derisively labeling Haley "birdbrain," the former president, who appointed Haley as the U.S. ambassador to the UN in 2017, commented: "I knew Nikki well, she was average at best, is not the one to take on World Leaders, and she never did. That was up to me, and that is why they respected the United States.

"When I ran for Office and won, I noticed that the losing Candidate's 'Donors' would immediately come to me, and want to 'help out.' This is standard in Politics, but no longer with me. Anybody that makes a 'Contribution' to Birdbrain, from this moment forth, will be permanently barred from the MAGA camp. We don't want them, and will not accept them, because we Put America First, and ALWAYS WILL!"

Haley responded on X, formerly Twitter, by sharing a link to her donations page, adding: "Well in that case...donate here. Let's Go!"