Haley continues campaign even after defeat in South Carolina

01/29/2024 01:18 (current 01/29/2024 01:18)

The Republican presidential candidate does not expect to win ©APA/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA

In the party's internal competition for the Republican presidential nomination, former President Donald Trump's rival Nikki Haley confirmed that she will remain in the race even after the South Carolina primary. She doesn't necessarily need to win her home state to move forward, she said. Haley on Sunday on NBC's “Meet the Press.” “I have to show that I'm gaining momentum. I have to show that I'm stronger in South Carolina than I am in New Hampshire.”

The former US ambassador to the United Nations said: “Does it have to be a victory? I don't think it necessarily has to be a victory. But it certainly has to be better than what I achieved in New Hampshire, and “It definitely has to be close.”

Both are aiming to win the Feb. 24 primary election in South Carolina, where Haley is a former governor. However, Trump is far ahead of Haley in the polls. Republican heavyweights backed Trump, who has long been considered the front-runner for the nomination. A motion presented to the Republican National Committee (RNC) on Thursday (local time) to declare Donald Trump the party's presidential nominee early was withdrawn just hours later following objections from Trump himself.

When asked whether the RNC had been an honest broker on this issue, Haley said no. “Clearly not,” Haley told NBC. “If you go… and basically tell the American people that you will decide who the nominee will be after only two states have voted… This is a democracy. The American people want to have a say in who their nominee should be. to be”. The tone between the two rivals in the fight for the nomination has become increasingly tense in recent days.