Nikki Haley is facing broadening calls to drop out of the GOP primary even as she publicly signals no intention to do so ahead of South Carolina’s contest next month.
The head of the Republican National Committee (RNC), the Georgia Republican Party and growing numbers of GOP lawmakers are urging her to drop out, arguing she has no realistic path to the nomination against frontrunner former President Trump.
There are incentives for Haley to keep going, but also risks. She’s up to 17 delegates after New Hampshire and has the potential to win more in the coming primaries, which could set her up to be an alternate nominee to Trump as he faces myriad legal battles.
At the same time, Haley could become demonized within the GOP if her campaign ends up angering rank-and-file Republican voters who want the party to unify behind its likely nominee.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Nikki Haley is facing broadening calls to drop out of the GOP primary even as she publicly signals no intention to do so ahead of South Carolina’s contest next month.
One Trump ally in the RNC submitted a draft resolution that made headlines this week, proposing the party declare the former president as its “presumptive 2024 nominee” even as he boasts just 32 of the 1,215 delegates needed to get the nod.
The draft argued there was no path forward for Haley and moved to kick the party into “full general election mode welcoming supporters of all candidates as valued members of Team Trump 2024.”
The numbers out of New Hampshire show Haley has the backing of some disaffected Republicans, moderates and independents, Felkel noted, and Trump must work to avoid alienating those groups as he knocks his primary rival.
Trump — who in 2020 sought to claim victory even as votes were still being counted and continues to deny the results of the election — was noticeably annoyed by Haley’s positive framing of her second-place New Hampshire win.
Polling averages for South Carolina put Trump more than 30 points above Haley, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, and some observers are skeptical of whether she has the momentum to keep going — and whether she’ll want to risk embarrassment on her home turf.
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