Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said the Republican primary was effectively “over” with former President Trump's victory in South Carolina and the withdrawal of his primary primary challenger, Nikki Haley. I expected it to invite.
Cruz pointed to Trump's nearly 11-point victory over Haley in New Hampshire on Tuesday and said it was “clear” that Trump would be the eventual Republican presidential nominee.
“New Hampshire was Nicki's last stand. She put everything into it, had all the moderates, all the 'never Trumper' billionaires behind her, and yet she lost.” She lost by 11 points,” Cruz said Wednesday in an interview on Fox News' “The Ingraham Angle.” “Trump… won New Hampshire decisively. He's the candidate.”
The Texas senator predicted Haley, a former ambassador to the United Nations, would stay in the race “because she has the money.” Mr. Haley insisted on Tuesday that he intends to remain in the race for his home state of South Carolina, where the primary will be held at the end of February.
“She has a lot of people writing checks who hate Donald Trump, but this campaign will end in South Carolina,” Cruz said. “Trump will win, but he won't win by a small margin. He'll win by double digits, maybe by 30 points like in Iowa.”
“My prediction at this point is that Nicky will drop out 18 hours after South Carolina. He won't be able to continue after that,” he added.
Trump currently leads Haley in the Palmetto State by more than 33 points, according to polling indices from The Hill and Decision Desk Headquarters.
Cruz endorsed Trump's bid for the White House earlier this month after Trump won the Iowa caucuses with a nearly 30-point lead over his rival. He is among at least 23 U.S. senators who have endorsed the former president's re-election campaign.
Cruz supported Trump in the 2020 election and continued to support him in the 2016 primary even after he withdrew his candidacy for president.
Trump received a series of calls from South Carolina politicians, including Governor Henry McMaster, who served as lieutenant governor under Haley, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who withdrew from the November Republican primary. I am supported.
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