Despite another humiliating setback in her home state of South Carolina, Nikki Haley is still refusing to suspend her campaign against Donald Trump to be the Republican Party's presidential nominee.
Having lost by a 20-point margin in the state where she was once governor, Haley declared that she would carry on fighting, and ramped up her attacks against Trump:
"Dropping out would be the easy route," she said. "I've been the underdog in every race I've ever run. I've always been David taking on Goliath. And like David, I'm not just fighting someone bigger than me. I'm fighting for something bigger than myself."
She continued:
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 truths out loud.
...
He's gotten more unstable and unhinged. He spends more time in courtrooms than he does on the campaign trail. He refuses to debate. He's completely distracted, and everything is about him. He's so obsessed with his own demons from the past. He can't focus on delivering a future Americans deserve.He's taking out his anger on others. He's getting meaner and more offensive by the day. He's trying to bully me and anyone who supports me. He says they'll be barred from MAGA permanently. That's not the way you win elections.
Despite her fiery rhetoric, some analysts are warning the writing may finally be on the wall. Although she pledged to carry on her campaign through Super Tuesday, she made no further commitments beyond that to stay in the race. "We’re going to keep going all the way through Super Tuesday,” Haley told reporters after casting her vote on Saturday. "That’s as far as I’ve thought in terms of going forward."
I’m an accountant. I know 40% isn’t 50%. But I also know that 40% is not a small number. Americans deserve a choice in this election, and I have a duty to give it to them. pic.twitter.com/8azXLJsaRQ
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) February 25, 2024
Although the eventual suspension of her campaign appears inevitable, what no longer seems certain is when or whether she will publicly endorse Donald Trump.
During the Republican primary debates in 2023, Haley raised her hand when asked whether she would support the party's eventual nominee, whoever that may be. Yet the nature of her campaign, in which she has leaned in heavily to the establishment, anti-Trump mindset suggests she may not follow through on this promise. Just last week, she deliberately dodged a question on whether she will support Trump when he becomes the nominee.
Read: Nikki Haley Dodges When Asked If She Will Honor Pledge to Support Nominee If Trump Wins
The first thing that Haley will have to determine is her commitment to conservatism, albeit Trump's own interpretation of it. If she is truly a conservative, she must surely realize that a Trump presidency would be infinitely superior to a second term of Joe Biden. If she doesn't , then perhaps she was never a conservative or a Republican in the first place.
Another factor will be her willingness to swallow her own pride. After a campaign in which she has repeatedly denounced his behavior and leadership, resigning herself to Trump may prove a bitter pill for her to swallow. She would, of course, be far from the first Republican to bend the knee and almost certainly not the last. Ron DeSantis, who was brutally attacked by Trump throughout the campaign, endorsed him immediately after suspending his campaign.
Given Haley's obvious ambition, the promise of a Trump cabinet role may also get her across the line. Having previously served as his U.N. Ambassador, it is unclear what position she may have her eye on. Given the prospect of Haley's sway with the establishment wing of the GOP, this is probably a concession Trump would be more than willing to make.
There are also mumblings of Haley potentially joining a third-party ticket, with Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips recently indicating he would be willing to join up with Haley to defeat Donald Trump. Just this weekend, the national director for the political organization No Labels, Joe Cunningham, said Haley is “somebody we’d definitely be interested in." However, most analysts would probably agree that such a bold move is unlikely given the well-established laws of realpolitik.
On the balance of probabilities, Haley will probably end up gritting her teeth and doing the right thing. But given the position she has staked out in this campaign, do not be surprised if it takes weeks or even months for her to come to that conclusion.
