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In South Carolina republican primary looms Haley challenges Trump on her home turf.
The South Carolina Republican Primary before two weeks to go, Donald Trump is challenged by Nikki Haley on her home turf.
Nikki Haley is trying to challenge Donald Trump on her home turf with two weeks left in the South Carolina Republican primary. The former president tries to cancel the main rival.
Donald Trump turned his campaign focus to the southern state days after an easy victory in Nevada, drawing a large crowd of supporters in Conway near Myrtle Beach to a rally Saturday, repeating false claims that he lost the 2020 election due to election fraud. Denigrated the news media as biased against him and attacked President Joe Biden.
Donald Trump heaped praise on South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, with McMaster endorsing him early. At the rally, Donald Trump insulted Nikki Hawley by calling her the derisive nickname “Bardbrain”. McMaster was motivated to make South Carolina governor her second-in-command Trump claimed that he had chosen Ms Haley to be his ambassador to the United Nations in 2027 and to put America on the world stage.
Former President Donald Trump said, “I wanted to take your lieutenant, who is here, and make him governor. She did the job, she was good, but I didn’t put her there because I wanted her there at the United Nations.”
“I wanted him because I felt he deserved it,” Mr. Trump added.
After winning three straight states, Mr. Trump—who has long been the front-runner in the GOP presidential contest—hopes to use the primary in South Carolina on February 24 to end Haley’s aspirations and concentrate entirely on his anticipated rematch with Biden in the general election.
After claiming that the Nevada caucuses were rigged to benefit Mr. Trump, Ms. Haley withdrew from the race and turned her attention to South Carolina, where she was governor from 2011 to 2017. She began a two-week bus tour of the state today.
Speaking on Saturday to a small group of people gathered outside a historic opera house in Newberry, Ms. Haley painted Mr. Trump as an unpredictable, conceited individual who is not concerned with the interests of the American people.
She cited his recent exertion of power inside the Republican Party, which included publicly forcing Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel to resign from her position and effectively persuading GOP senators in Washington to reject a bipartisan border security agreement.
“What’s going on?” stated Ms. Haley. She said, “He had his fingerprints all over it on that day of all those losses.”
Ms. Haley echoed her concerns about Mr. Trump’s mental state, a criticism that has grown more intense since a speech on January 19 in which he repeatedly confused her with the late Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. Haley, 52, has advocated for mental competence exams for politicians during her campaign, setting herself apart from 81-year-old Biden and 77-year-old Trump.
She questioned, “Why do we have to have someone in their 80s run for office?” “Why are they unable to relinquish their power?”
A yell went up from the audience, “Because they’re grumpy old men!”
Ms. Haley remarked, “They’re just cranky old men.”
Speaking to reporters after the event, Ms. Haley maintained her position, referencing a special counsel’s report that was made public on Thursday and which looked into Mr. Biden’s possible possession of sensitive material. Biden’s memory was deemed to be “poor” by the assessment.
Ms. Haley declared, “Americans can do better than two 80-year-olds for president.”
Retired fireman Bob Pollard stated that he cannot support Trump because “he’s a maniac,” and that his campaign has “turned into a personal vendetta.” Mr. Trump routinely speaks of “retribution” and his personal grievances.
Longtime supporter of Ms. Haley from South Carolina, Harlie O’Connell, stated she would support the ultimate GOP nominee but would prefer it be someone younger.
O’Connell remarked, “It’s just time for some fresh blood.”
Mike O’Connell, her husband, contrasted the foreign policy stances of the candidates and stated that, in line with Haley’s commitment, he wants the United States to keep supporting Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
In regards to foreign relations, he stated, “We need to encourage friendships and not discourage them.”
In his speech and a social media post on Saturday, Mr. Trump attacked foreign aid in general as well as a congressional proposal to provide Israel and Ukraine close to $100 billion in aid. He also continued to praise foreign strongmen, praising Chinese President Xi Jinping for being intelligent because he “controls 1.4 billion people with an iron fist,” calling Russian President Vladimir Putin “very smart, very sharp,” and characterizing Viktor Orbán, the nationalist prime minister of Hungary, as “one of the toughest guys.”
In one very personal attack, Mr. Trump repeatedly questioned why Ms. Haley’s husband Michael Haley, who is deployed on a yearlong stint in Africa with the South Carolina Army National Guard, hasn’t been on the campaign trail. Mr. Trump, whose own wife, Melania Trump, has not joined him as he campaigns, asked: “What happened to her husband? Where is he? He’s gone. He knew. He knew.”
Ms. Haley responded sharply in a post on X, saying: “Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about. Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief.”
In a very personal jab, Mr. Trump kept asking why Michael Haley, the spouse of Ms. Haley, hasn’t been out campaigning despite being stationed in Africa for a year with the South Carolina Army National Guard. Mr. Trump questioned, “What happened to her husband?,” since his own wife, Melania Trump, has not accompanied him on his campaign trail. What is his location? He is no longer there. He was aware. He was aware.
In a post on X, Ms. Haley retorted angrily, writing, “You have no idea that Michael is serving our nation while abroad. As commander in chief, someone who consistently disregards the sacrifices made by military families has no place in this position.
Additionally, Mr. Trump intensified his criticism of the media, demonizing it at least six times, to the delight of the audience, who booed in unison.
His last remarks offered an occasionally apocalyptic assessment of the nation, cataloguing everything from nuclear Armageddon to unclean, congested airports. Should he lose, he also predicted that the stock market would plummet, as it did in 1929, igniting the Great Depression. His followers who were charged for their participation in the January 6, 2021, uprising at the U.S. Capitol were described by him as “hostages” who had been “unfairly imprisoned for long periods of time.”.
He made his extended lament while speaking over an instrumental song that QAnon adherents have claimed as their anthem.
In Conway, people began lining up to see Mr. Trump hours before the doors opened to the arena where he was set to take the stage later.
Organizers set up outside screens for an overflow crowd to watch.
The city sits along the Grand Strand, a broad expanse of South Carolina’s northern coast that is home to Myrtle Beach and Horry County, one of the most reliably conservative spots in the state and a central area of Mr. Trump’s base of support in the state in his past campaigns.
Tim Carter, from nearby Murrells Inlet, said he had backed Mr. Trump since 2016 and would do so again this year.
“We’re here to stand for Mr. Trump, get our economy better, shut our border down, more jobs for our people,” said Carter, a pastor and military veteran who runs an addiction recovery ministry.
Cheryl Savage from Conway, who was waiting on the bleachers to hear from Mr. Trump, said the former president is “here to help us.” Savage said she backed Ms. Haley during her first run for governor in 2010 but now feels she is hurting herself by staying in the race.
“He deserves a second term,” Savage said, of Mr. Trump. “He did a fantastic job for four years.”
Additionally, Mr. Trump intensified his criticism of the media, demonizing it at least six times, to the delight of the audience, who booed in unison.
His last remarks offered an occasionally apocalyptic assessment of the nation, cataloguing everything from nuclear Armageddon to unclean, congested airports. Should he lose, he also predicted that the stock market would plummet, as it did in 1929, igniting the Great Depression. His followers who were charged for their participation in the January 6, 2021, uprising at the U.S. Capitol were described by him as “hostages” who had been “unfairly imprisoned for long periods of time.”
Speaking over an instrumental tune that QAnon followers have declared to be their anthem, he delivered his long lament.
Hours before the arena doors opened in Conway, fans started waiting up to see Mr. Trump. He was scheduled to speak later.
Outside screens are set up by the organizers for the overflow throng to watch.
The city is located on the Grand Strand, a wide stretch of the northern coast of South Carolina that is home to Myrtle Beach and Horry County. This region is known for being incredibly conservative in the state and was a major source of support for Mr. Trump throughout his previous campaigns.
Tim Carter, from nearby Murrells Inlet, said he had backed Mr. Trump since 2016 and would do so again this year.
“We’re here to stand for Mr. Trump, get our economy better, shut our border down, more jobs for our people,” said Carter, a pastor and military veteran who runs an addiction recovery ministry.
Cheryl Savage from Conway, who was waiting on the bleachers to hear from Mr. Trump, said the former president is “here to help us.” Savage said she backed Ms. Haley during her first run for governor in 2010 but now feels she is hurting herself by staying in the race.
“He deserves a second term,” Savage said, of Mr. Trump. “He did a fantastic job for four years.”
Tim Carter, a resident of Murrells Inlet, said he would continue to support Mr. Trump this year as he had done in 2016.
Carter, a preacher and former military member who oversees an addiction treatment ministry, stated, “We’re here to stand for Mr. Trump, get our economy better, shut our border down, and more jobs for our people.”
Conway resident Cheryl Savage said that Mr. Trump was “here to help us” as she waited to hear from him from the bleachers. Savage stated that although she supported Ms. Haley in her initial 2010 bid for governor, she now believes that she is doing herself harm by continuing to run.
Speaking about Mr. Trump, Savage stated, “He deserves a second term.” “He performed admirably for four years.”
