🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Nikki Haley addressed whether she is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race during a speech Tuesday in South Carolina, just days before voters make their choice in the Republican primary there.
Haley told supporters she is staying in.
"When the country's future is on the line, you don't drop out. You keep fighting. In fact, you fight harder than ever. That's why I refuse to quit," she said.
The Context
Haley, who formerly served as governor of South Carolina and United Nations ambassador, has faced calls to withdraw from the presidential race. She remains the only high-profile challenger to Donald Trump in the GOP primary, as the former president has seen victories in early-voting states like Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. Polls indicate Trump is poised to see victory in South Carolina's primary on Saturday.
What We Know
Despite mounting calls for her to drop out, Haley insisted she will stay in the race during her speech, which she delivered in Greenville just after noon.
"Instead of focusing on how to make America stronger tomorrow, some people want to know if I'm going to cave today. We've all heard the calls for me to drop out. We all know where they're coming from. The political elite, the party bosses, the cheerleaders in the commentator world," she said.
She addressed critics who suggest her staying in the race is delaying the "inevitable." She also criticized other Republicans, saying they privately acknowledge Trump has been a "disaster" but have "surrendered" to pressure to back the former president.
"I feel no need to kiss the ring. I have no fear of Trump's retribution. I'm not looking for anything from him. My own political future is of zero concern. I hear what the political class says, but I hear from the American people too," she said.
Still, Haley faces increasingly challenging odds as Trump continues to secure victories. A new poll from Emerson College and The Hill found that 58 percent of South Carolina Republicans planned to back Trump, while only 35 percent said they would support Haley in the primary.
That poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters from February 14 to 16 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Views
Grant Davis Reeher, a professor of political science at Syracuse University, told Newsweek on Tuesday there is still the potential for lightning to "strike" for Haley. But by staying in she runs the risk of irritating the Republican base.
"It doesn't look likely, but you never know, and at this point she is the clear No. 2. If Trump should go on to win the nomination and lose in the general election, especially if he loses badly, then she would be well positioned as the alternative to Trump or the Trump-type candidates in 2028," Reeher said.
It is not too long for Haley to stay in for Super Tuesday, he said, noting Trump's political and legal controversies. It is "completely reasonable" to see what more of the Republican electorate thinks about the nomination, he added.
Trump would likely need to have a "meltdown that is so over the top that it can't be ignored by the base, or some revelation of a similar nature," for Haley to prevail, Reeher said.
Meena Bose, the executive dean of Hofstra University's Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, told Newsweek that Haley's staying in the race makes her a strong contender if Trump cannot run in the general election because of his legal troubles.
Still, she said, a win in South Carolina will be critical for Haley to continue receiving funding support, and a direct path to the nomination would be "very challenging" without a strong showing in the state.
"If she is willing to continue expending the time and effort, then she certainly does not need to drop out," Bose said.
Other reactions poured in on X (formerly Twitter) after Haley's speech on Tuesday.
"One effect of Haley saying right now that she won't quit after SC - implying that she will lose it - is that the in-progress Trump RNC takeover has to deal with the fact that he's not the 'presumptive nominee' yet. She wants to keep grinding him down for weeks," wrote David Weigel, a reporter for Semafor.
Journalist Aaron Rupar said the speech was "brilliant."
"She hyped a major speech, getting Fox News and company to take it live thinking she might drop out, and instead she's using it to make a campaign speech," he wrote.
Conservative commentator Jack Posobiec wrote, "There was zero chance Nikki Haley was going to drop out today. She isn't running to win. When you understand her true role, you'll see why winning the primary isn't necessary for achieving it."
What's Next
After South Carolina's vote, Michigan will be the next state to hold its primary, on February 27, when 14 of the state's 55 delegates will be allocated. The rest will be determined at the Michigan state convention on March 2.
Idaho, Missouri, Washington, D.C., and North Dakota will follow in the days before Super Tuesday, when 15 states and American Samoa will cast their votes.
Updated 2/20/24, 1:20 p.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information and background.
Update 2/20/24, 2:13 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comments from Meena Bose of Hofstra University.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more