Republican Presidential candidate Nikki Haley said the GOP caucuses in Nevada were “rigged” for Donald Trump. Haley campaign manager Betsy Ankney spoke to reporters, saying the South Carolinian had spent not a “dime nor an ounce of energy” in the Silver State because it would be wasted in a “process that was rigged for Trump.” Ankney added that Ms. Haley is focused on her home state.
The Nevada GOP decided to allocate delegates based on party-run caucuses, which analysts say has all but guaranteed the state for Donald Trump.
Following Trump’s win in New Hampshire, Haley said her focus had shifted to the Palmetto State, where she served as Governor from 2011 to 2017. She began heavily campaigning there immediately after taking 43.2% of the vote in New Hampshire, and she is increasingly taking aim at the age of her opponents, Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
Haley has long argued that America needs younger leaders, and at a rally in South Carolina in February, she emphasized that message. “Don’t you think it’s time we had mental competency tests for anyone over the age of 75?” she asked attendees.
Statistics show that South Carolina is a favored state for retirees, and 40,000 moved there in 2023. Nevertheless, many seem to agree with Haley’s stance. Maureen Bulger, who moved to the Palmetto State to retire, told reporters at Haley’s latest rally that her concern is less about cognitive ability than energy. “It takes a lot of fortitude,” she said.
Although Haley has support in her home state, most analysis suggests this will not be enough and that South Carolina will opt for Trump. Most GOP officials there have endorsed the former President – including its Senators Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham and Governor Henry McMaster. Trump’s campaign is taking the state seriously and sending thousands of volunteers to knock on doors.
Insiders say South Carolina is where Trump intends to end Haley’s ambitions, although she said she intends to stay until Super Tuesday.
