Nikki Haley is staying in against the odds. It may hurt her in the long run.
As she plans to head to Michigan after her South Carolina loss, Nikki Haley is combating a steep decline in support among Republican voters.
It’s becoming a familiar scene. Nikki Haley loses a primary state to former President Donald Trump, appears onstage the night of the loss, and, in a fist-pumping speech, vows she will fight on.
But after a stumble in her home state of South Carolina on Saturday — making her now without a win in early-state primaries — campaign analysts and voters say the longer she stays in the race, the more she may be running the risk of damaging her political future — and brand.
She’s increasingly linked to Democrats. Her Republican support is waning. And her attacks on Trump have drawn rebukes from GOP voters in a party that the former president now owns.
Republican strategist Matthew Bartlett said that to political observers, Haley’s endgame is increasingly unclear.
“She wants to go out the way she wants, which I guess is in flames,” Bartlett said.
Rating: 5