Donald Trump said his remaining primary rival, Nikki Haley, is only still in the race because she “doesn’t know how to get out.”
It comes after a “state of the race” speech earlier in the day by former U.N. ambassador. Haley said she is “far from” ready to drop out of the 2024 race.
Speaking at a town hall in South Carolina on Tuesday, Trump lashed out at Haley for staying in the race for so long, especially after massive losses in the Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada primaries.
Actually, I don’t think he knows how to get out. Not really,” Trump said to laughter from the studio audience in Greenville, South Carolina.
He added, referring to polls in the Palmetto State: “You’re not supposed to lose your home state and she’s doing it in a big way.”
‘He’s doing poorly in the polls. Look, if she was doing well, she would understand.
Former President Donald Trump said during a town hall on Fox News on Tuesday that his primary rival, Nikki Haley, “just can’t get out” of the 2024 race.
Haley criticized Trump during her campaign speech in Greenville ahead of the South Carolina primary on Saturday. He said he will remain in the race regardless of the primary results in his home state.
Trump also posited that Haley is “playing games” with Democrats who he claims are bankrolling her campaign as a way to hurt her chances in the November general election.
“They’re trying to hurt me because of the general election, so the Democrats are giving her money and she’s playing the game,” Trump theorized.
“I guess he just can’t get out.”
Haley took a defiant stance Tuesday, saying she’s “not going anywhere” and vowing to fight “harder than ever” ahead of the South Carolina Republican Party’s presidential primary on Saturday.
Haley gave an impassioned state of the race speech in Greenville as Trump arrived for the town hall taping with Fox host Laura Ingraham.
It comes just four days before the state’s primary amid calls from fellow Republicans for Haley to drop out. Instead, she is crouching.
“Some of you, maybe some of you in the media, came here today to see if I dropped out of the race,” Haley said. “Well, I’m not, far from it.”
Haley dismissed calls for her ouster as coming from the “political elite” and rejected not having won a single state so far. She came in third in Iowa, second in New Hampshire, and lost the Nevada primary to “none of these candidates” as Trump won the state’s caucuses.
Haley said she will continue running for president on Sunday regardless of the results of the South Carolina primary on Saturday. He noted that in the 10 days after South Carolina, 21 other states and territories will vote.
Haley sharply criticized Republicans who called on her to drop out, saying people deserve a choice in the primary “not a Soviet-style election.” She said of Trump that she sees no reason to ‘kiss the ring’
‘Abandonment of studies would be the easiest way. I’ve never taken the easy way out,” Haley said. “I’ve been the underdog in every race I’ve ever run. I’ve always been David taking on Goliath, and like David, I’m not just fighting someone bigger than me, but that I am fighting for something bigger than myself.”
Haley has criticized Trump during the election campaign, but on Tuesday she escalated her attacks on the Republican presidential front-runner, calling him “unstable” and “unhinged.”
“People have a right to have their voices heard and they deserve a real election, not a Soviet-style election where there is just one candidate and he gets 99% of the vote,” Haley said. ‘We do not anoint kings in this country. We have elections, and Donald Trump, of all people, should know that we did not rig the elections!’
He said the country doesn’t want more chaos and madness and argued that Americans don’t want another rematch between Trump and Biden.
“At the end of the day, the only candidate who is helping Joe Biden is Donald Trump, because Trump is the only Republican Biden can beat,” Haley said.
Haley called Biden and Trump two old men who are only getting older.
‘We are talking about the most demanding job in the history of humanity. You don’t give it to someone who is at risk for dementia,” Haley said.
Haley with her husband at a campaign event in March 2023. Michael Haley, who serves as a major in the South Carolina Army National Guard, deployed overseas last year.
At one point in her speech, Haley became visibly emotional when talking about her husband Michael, a major in the South Carolina Army National Guard, currently serving overseas.
‘As I prepare for what lies ahead, Michael is at the forefront of my mind. I wish Michael was here today and I wish our kids and I could see him tonight, but we can’t,” Haley said, fighting back tears.
‘Michael is fighting for the country he loves, as are all his brothers and sisters in arms, wherever they are stationed in our dangerous world. They have stated his position because America is worth fighting for and even dying for,” Haley said. “Now I will continue to defend my position because it is worth living in the United States.”
Haley’s emotional comments about her husband deployed overseas come after Trump recently criticized her absences during the election campaign.
At a rally, Trump recalled that Haley had gone to see him at Mar-a-Lago and brought her husband before telling him, “What happened to your husband?” What happened to her husband? Where is the? He’s gone! He knew.’
The Trump campaign released a memo Tuesday arguing that the end of Haley’s campaign is near. Based on their analysis, they predict that even with a generous model for Haley, Trump will win the Republican nomination on March 19. Based on current data, they estimate that he will obtain the necessary 1,223 delegates on March 12.