Nikki Haley’s campaign is prepared for another embarrassing loss in the Republican presidential primary on Saturday, with the former governor of South Carolina lagging by more than 20 points in her home state. Donald Trump’s last major opponent for the Republican nomination before facing President Joe Biden in November has lost the first four presidential primary contests and has been accused of wasting her party’s and voters’ time and money, but she has remained adamant that she will remain in the race, at least for the foreseeable future. The question on everyone’s mind is: why?
There is widespread speculation that if Trump is convicted on the counts, he will withdraw from the presidential race
Ms. Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations, has stated in several interviews that she is remaining in the race because it is evident that Americans want a choice other than Donald Trump and Joe Biden, as well as the debate they saw in 2020. According to USA Today, the former governor is positioning herself as a candidate who can reconcile a polarized country. “Most Americans despise more than one candidate. They loathe both… The reality is that Americans already know what Joe Biden and Donald Trump will do. “They are dividers at a time when America desperately needs a uniter,” she said, according to the story.
The BBC has reported that Ms Haley’s friends and allies insist that she is focused on this year’s Republican nomination. “When you talk to her in private, she says I’m sticking with this. The opportunity for her is now,” said Jenny Sanford-McKay, South Carolina’s former first lady and Ms Haley’s friend, according to the report.
However, two additional possibilities are circulating as well. Ms Haley’s challenger, former US President Donald Trump, is facing four criminal indictments, and a judge recently ordered him to pay $355 million, plus interest, in a civil fraud action alleging that he lied about his wealth and significantly raised the worth of his properties. There is widespread speculation that if Trump is convicted on the counts, two of them involving election manipulation and his followers’ attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, he will withdraw from the presidential race. If that happens, Ms. Haley will be front and center in the presidential debate. The third theory, according to Republican strategists who spoke to the BBC, is that the former UN ambassador has an eye on the 2028 presidential election. “People will remember her, and that she was a solid candidate,” Ron Bonjean, a political strategist, said.