Why Nikki Haley Continues Her Stand Against Trump

The Republican primaries in South Carolina for the presidential nomination were held recently, and the results were as anticipated. The state’s former governor, who was competing for the nomination, suffered a heavy loss. On the other side, the ex-president, who had already secured victories in the previous three primaries held in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada, continued his winning streak. He triumphed once again, securing approximately 60 percent of the votes.

The former governor, Haley, who was the only competitor against Trump, finished with around 40 percent of the votes. Despite not securing half the votes, Haley stated, “It’s not a small group either,” indicating her satisfaction with the vote share. The 52-year-old politician interpreted the results as a sign that there are many right-of-center voters who are seeking an alternative to Trump. She stated, “I am a woman whose word you can trust. That’s why I’m not giving up this fight.”

A Possible Clean Alternative

Haley is under constant pressure from Trump loyalists and the ex-president himself, who demand that she proves herself worthy of the nomination. They argue that without the support of non-partisan or Democratic voters who have previously shown strong support for Haley, she would have been completely outperformed. Trump’s supporters believe that the 77-year-old will secure the required 1,215 delegates needed for the nomination party conference by March 19th at the latest. The 880 votes to be awarded on “Super Tuesday” are crucial in this regard. On March 5, 15 states and one US territory will vote simultaneously, and none of these states predict a victory for Haley.

However, Haley is strategically planning for the summer. If Trump is convicted in any of the four criminal trials by then – the first trial for hush money payments to Stormy Daniels begins in March – Haley could present herself as a clean alternative at the party conference in Milwaukee. Polls indicate that if Trump is criminally convicted, he could lose even among his own supporters to Joe Biden. So far, a majority of conservative voters have overlooked Trump’s missteps, controversial remarks, and legal troubles.

Haley’s success is heavily dependent on financial support. In January, she received significantly more donations than Trump, totaling $16.5 million. To compete with Trump in the long run, continued support from Wall Street billionaires and business leaders, who view Haley as a viable alternative to Trump, is essential. However, there have been recent indications of withdrawal of support. Industrialist Charles Koch has made his continued financial support for Haley conditional on the possibility of a realistic victory scenario. Unfortunately, this did not materialize.

If Donald Trump wins on Super Tuesday, Haley’s image as a loser could become more entrenched. This could lead to major donors withdrawing their support, as speculated by US TV, causing Haley’s campaign to potentially lose its momentum. In such a case, Haley’s only probable option would be to concede defeat.