OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has made a definitive announcement just before the South Carolina primary.
The election in the state where she used to be governor is on Saturday and she is expected to be defeated by a massive margin.
When questioned by Fox News host Bret Baier about her reasons for staying in the campaign, and if she wants to be former President Donald Trump’s vice president, she was emphatic in her answer.
“Where can you paint a picture on Super Tuesday where you can get a victory?” Baier said.
“We’re gonna see what happens tomorrow. But look, the problem when people say, “Why is she doing this? Why is she doing that?” At first, they were like, “She’s doing this because she wants to be vice president.” I think we’ve pretty much settled that. Then they’re saying–“ Haley said before Baier interrupted.
“Have we settled it?” he said.
“There is no political motivation. If there was political motivation, I would have gotten out of this a long time ago,” she said.
“By the way, have we settled the vice president thing?” the anchor said.
“Of course we’ve settled it! I mean there is in no way,” she said.
“So, it’s done?” the host said to which the candidate responded, “I’ve said it for months, it’s done.”
“Also, looking at a political future – I wouldn’t be doing this if I was worried about a political future. I would’ve gotten out already. I’m doing this trying to wake up our country,” she said.
Haley, who has been challenging former President Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary, has given a “State Of The Race” speech.
She gave the speech on Tuesday and some had anticipated she would be leaving the contest days before an expected drubbing in her home state of South Carolina.
“Some of you, perhaps a few of you in the media came here today to see if I’m dropping out of the race, she said. “Well I’m not.”
She then went into a campaign speech that did not really change anything as she is headed toward what looks like it is going to be a pummeling in South Carolina this week.
In anticipation of that defeat she said she will stay in “until the last person votes.”
“South Carolina will vote on Saturday, but on Sunday I’ll still be running for president. I’m not going anywhere,” she said.
“We’ve all heard the calls for me to drop out. We all know where they’re coming from: the political elite, the party bosses, the cheerleaders in the commentator world. The argument is familiar. They say I haven’t won a state, that my path to victory is slim. They point to the primary polls and say I’m only delaying the inevitable. Why keep fighting when the battle was apparently over after Iowa?
Look, I get it. In politics, the herd mentality is enormously strong. A lot of Republican politicians have surrendered to it. The pressure on them was way too much. They didn’t want to be left out of the club.
Of course, many of the same politicians who now publicly embrace Trump, privately dread him.
They know what a disaster he’s been and will continue to be for our party. They’re just too afraid to say it out loud. Well, I’m not afraid to say the hard truth out loud.
I feel no need to kiss the ring. I have no fear of Trump’s retribution. I’m not looking for anything from him.”
A growing chorus of influential conservatives called on Haley to end what appears to be a hopeless quest for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination and unite around the top candidate by far, former President Donald Trump.
The calls came after Haley went 0-4 in the first series of primaries, and trailed Trump by a wide margin in her own home state of South Carolina, where she served as governor.
