Haley remains defiant as she looks ahead to South Carolina primary amid escalating Trump attacks
From CNN's Eric Bradner, Arit John, Alayna Treene, Kylie Atwood and MJ Lee
Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event in North Charleston, South Carolina, on January 24. Randall Hill/Reuters
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is growing more defiant in the face of Donald Trump’s efforts to push her out of the 2024 Republican primary race, poking and prodding at the former president and encouraging supporters to wear Trump’s attacks as a badge of honor.
Returning to her home state Wednesday, Haley mocked Trump’s victory speech in New Hampshire the night earlier — one in which the former president raged about the concession speech Haley had just delivered.
She said Trump “pitched a fit,” called him “insecure” and declared he “should feel threatened, without a doubt.” She cast doubt on his mental competency — the same line of attack Trump and his allies have long leveled at President Joe Biden — and dared Trump to debate her one-on-one.
“Bring it, Donald,” she said in North Charleston. “Show me what you got.”
Haley’s increasingly pointed attacks on Trump come amid pressure from many Republicans for her to drop out of the 2024 primary race so that the party can coalesce around the former president — who is seeking a third consecutive nomination.
Polls show Haley is far behind Trump in South Carolina, where many of her former allies have turned on her and the Republican primary electorate is much more conservative than that of New Hampshire — where she lost to Trump by 11 points.
Still, she remains a thorn in the former president’s side, provoking his ire in ways the 2024 Republican presidential contenders he’s already dispatched never did. And Haley’s aides say that’s intentional.
Winning the GOP nomination requires 1,215 delegates. Here's how many are at stake in each contest
From CNN's Zachary B. Wolf, Amy O'Kruk and Ethan Cohen
While the primary contests in Iowa and New Hampshire can be critical for giving candidates early momentum — those two states represent a small number of delegates.
It’s not until Super Tuesday on March 5, seven weeks after the first Americans pick a candidate in Iowa, that a consequentially large number of Republican delegates is at stake.
Winning the GOP nomination requires at least 1,215 out of 2,429 delegates awarded as part of the primary process. Shortly after CNN projected that Trump would win New Hampshire, Trump had 32 delegates compared with Haley’s 17.
In 13 primaries and three caucuses, 874 delegates, 36% of the Republican total, will be up for grabs, including in California, the state with the most Republican delegates. But we still aren’t even halfway through the primaries.
A contentious contest: The former president is growing increasingly angry with Haley for not dropping out of the race, declaring her an "enemy," sources say.
Biden prepares for possible Trump rematch: President Joe Biden's campaign has made clear it views the GOP primary race as all but over – and it's going full steam ahead to a general election match-up against Trump.
Trump juggles campaign and courtroom: Meanwhile, Trump is expected back in court Friday for the E. Jean Carroll defamation trial against him. He has made his multiple legal challenges a key part of his campaign message.
Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event in North Charleston, South Carolina, on January 24. Randall Hill/Reuters
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is growing more defiant in the face of Donald Trump’s efforts to push her out of the 2024 Republican primary race, poking and prodding at the former president and encouraging supporters to wear Trump’s attacks as a badge of honor.
Returning to her home state Wednesday, Haley mocked Trump’s victory speech in New Hampshire the night earlier — one in which the former president raged about the concession speech Haley had just delivered.
She said Trump “pitched a fit,” called him “insecure” and declared he “should feel threatened, without a doubt.” She cast doubt on his mental competency — the same line of attack Trump and his allies have long leveled at President Joe Biden — and dared Trump to debate her one-on-one.
“Bring it, Donald,” she said in North Charleston. “Show me what you got.”
Haley’s increasingly pointed attacks on Trump come amid pressure from many Republicans for her to drop out of the 2024 primary race so that the party can coalesce around the former president — who is seeking a third consecutive nomination.
Polls show Haley is far behind Trump in South Carolina, where many of her former allies have turned on her and the Republican primary electorate is much more conservative than that of New Hampshire — where she lost to Trump by 11 points.
Still, she remains a thorn in the former president’s side, provoking his ire in ways the 2024 Republican presidential contenders he’s already dispatched never did. And Haley’s aides say that’s intentional.
While the primary contests in Iowa and New Hampshire can be critical for giving candidates early momentum — those two states represent a small number of delegates.
It’s not until Super Tuesday on March 5, seven weeks after the first Americans pick a candidate in Iowa, that a consequentially large number of Republican delegates is at stake.
Winning the GOP nomination requires at least 1,215 out of 2,429 delegates awarded as part of the primary process. Shortly after CNN projected that Trump would win New Hampshire, Trump had 32 delegates compared with Haley’s 17.
In 13 primaries and three caucuses, 874 delegates, 36% of the Republican total, will be up for grabs, including in California, the state with the most Republican delegates. But we still aren’t even halfway through the primaries.
