Last rival standing: Haley faces steep uphill climb against Trump with one week until South Carolina primary

Nikki Haley was the first of more than a dozen White House candidates to challenge former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination.

A year after launching his campaign, the former two-term South Carolina governor and later U.N. ambassador in the Trump administration has become the last major rival to face the former president in the race to carry the Republican standard. Ta.

“A year ago, 13 people participated in this election, and the turnout was 2%. But we knew what we were fighting for. We were strong and proud. America. And now, one year later, we’re back to my sweet spot, ‘Bring It Home’ to South Carolina, and we’re ready to bring it home! ” Hailey said on social media on Thursday.

However, with just one week left until South Carolina’s Republican presidential primary, Haley faces a tough uphill battle in her nomination battle with front-runner Trump, who is running for the White House for the third consecutive year. .

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Trump won a majority of votes in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary last month, and won landslides in the Nevada and Virgin Islands caucuses a week and a half ago. And as the Feb. 24 South Carolina primary approaches, the latest polls suggest the former president maintains a double-digit lead over Haley in her home state.

“She is devastated,” President Trump said Wednesday night at a rally in North Charleston, South Carolina. “She’s done.”

Haley has been actively campaigning in her home state, starting a bus tour last weekend when early voting for the Republican primary began. Haley’s campaign and a super PAC that supports her are also spending millions of dollars promoting her and pumping ads targeting Trump onto South Carolina’s airwaves.

Trump joins Fox News’ Laura Ingraham at South Carolina City Hall

Trump, by contrast, had not set foot in South Carolina for two months, until holding two rallies in the Palmetto State last week. The former president is scheduled to return to South Carolina on Tuesday to attend a Fox News town hall hosted by Laura Ingraham.

And things were bleak for President Trump and the super PACs that align with him in the state until the former president’s campaign was buoyed by low-six-figure ad buys this week.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Charleston Area Convention Center on Wednesday, February 14, 2024 in North Charleston, South Carolina. (AP Photo/David Iasel)

In Haley’s home state of South Carolina, the former president enjoys the support of the state’s governor, nearly the entire Congressional delegation, and numerous state legislators and local officials.

Dave Wilson, a veteran Republican consultant based in South Carolina, pointed to President Trump’s “swell” in the state and emphasized the former president’s “ground troops.”

Next stop in the 2024 Haley vs. Trump Republican primary showdown

Wilson also said that “Nikki Haley is making a comeback in South Carolina,” as “nearly a million people have moved to the statehouse since Nikki Haley was governor.”

However, Wilson cited her undefeated election record and said, “Never underestimate Nikki Haley. Never count Nikki Haley out.”

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and former President Trump (Getty Images)

Haley has repeatedly said she doesn’t need to win her home state.

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“Success is about being competitive. It’s about closing the gap. Making sure we keep moving forward heading into Super Tuesday,” Haley said in an interview with Fox News Digital in Columbia, South Carolina, earlier this month. We need to make sure that we can do that,” he emphasized.

“It’s important to keep this momentum going. We got 20% in Iowa. We got 43% in New Hampshire. Let’s get a little closer so we can get closer to him.” [Trump] Let’s be more competitive for Super Tuesday. ”

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks at a rally in Dallas, Thursday, February 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Haley took a break from her troubles in South Carolina to raise money and campaign in Texas on Thursday and Friday. Texas is one of 15 states where contests for the Republican nomination will be held on Super Tuesday in early March. She earned over $1 million on her first day in Texas.

And as Fox News first reported, Haley raised $1.7 million a week and a half ago during a two-day campaign in California, another big Super Tuesday state. The suspensions in Texas and California are another indicator for Haley, who is pushing back against calls from some Republicans to withdraw from the race and for President Trump to focus on facing Biden in November. It seems to be happening.

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“I’m in this for the long term,” Haley said at a campaign rally in Los Angeles last week.

Haley then reiterated to Fox News Digital that “our focus is on South Carolina, Michigan and Super Tuesday.”

Michigan will hold its primary on Tuesday, February 27, three days after South Carolina.

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump appears on stage at the Get Out The Vote rally at Coastal Carolina University on February 10, 2024 in Conway, South Carolina. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“People support Haley, there’s no question about that, and she’s going to raise money,” said David Carney, a longtime Republican consultant and veteran of numerous Republican presidential campaigns. Yes, there is no doubt about that.”

But Carney, who remains neutral in the race for the 2024 Republican nomination, stressed that he “sees no path forward” for Haley.

Carney said many of the March 5 Republican races have provisions that award the majority of delegates to candidates who win more than 50 percent of the state or a congressional district. “Super Tuesday is going to be a real pain.”

Get the latest on the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more with Fox News Digital’s Election Hub.