Nikki Haley says she remains committed to taking on Donald Trump and winning her home state of South Carolina’s GOP primary, though her team is running a much more relaxed campaign than in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Trump enjoys strong support among evangelical voters who form his base, yet still faces difficulties in South Carolina.
1. Trump’s Criminal Trial
Trump‘s legal woes remain an important element to keep an eye on in South Carolina. He has been charged with fraud relating to his business dealings and falsely claimed electoral votes during 2016.
On Feb. 15, a judge ordered jury selection to begin in the campaign finance case beginning March 25. If found guilty, each of the 34 charges could result in up to four years imprisonment for each count.
His team hopes that they’ll be successful in getting his case dismissed before his primary, though that is far from certain. Even if they succeed, however, voters still need convincing that these problems won’t interfere with his ability to govern or lead effectively – most Trump voters appear to buy into this argument and even embrace a narrative about political persecution, further solidifying support for him as they rally around their cause.
2. Haley’s Foreign Policy
Now that Haley has garnered such considerable poll support and put Donald Trump on notice, voters and experts alike are trying to predict what a Haley presidency would look like. She has focused on her foreign policy expertise from serving as U.N. Ambassador, suggesting she would take a more practical approach towards global issues than her predecessor.
She has sharply criticized Trump for his inadequate response to Vladimir Putin’s killing of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and for being too soft on China.
Haley stands out as an unexpected GOP internationalist in that she wants to expand US engagement around the world and project power; this could upset some Republicans who have become skeptical of its necessity. Additionally, Haley sits on two defense contractors with extensive government contracts such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon which conduct extensive government business with her.
3. Voter Turnout
Voter turnout will play an instrumental role in South Carolina’s primary, as an increase in turnout will increase Trump’s share of voters who back him and solidify his advantage with white evangelicals and those supporting abortion restrictions.
Haley hopes a surge in voter turnout among African-American communities across South Carolina can bolster her chances of unseating Trump, whom she claims has failed to represent the black community, veterans and military families as promised.
She also charges that Donald Trump has a history of disparaging women and minority communities, though many voters remain unfazed by any of his statements or remarks. We spoke to one such voter who noted she has no plans to vote for Trump despite him winning both Iowa and New Hampshire primaries; her personal reason being her son being born with congenital heart defects that required time in the NICU.
4. The Debate
Haley is playing hardball to secure second place in the Republican nomination fight, targeting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy for their criticism over issues including transgender health care, foreign policy and donor support from corporations and wealthy donors. On Saturday she addressed an audience at an opera house in Newberry and called out both as unreliable.
Haley has stressed her foreign policy expertise, asserting that she could meet more diplomatic challenges at the United Nations than Trump could. Additionally, Haley argues that she would be more accountable than Trump, citing in particular her refusal to cut Medicare or Social Security benefits despite Trump’s warnings to do so.
Haley has been cautious with her attacks against Trump, recognizing that his personal scandals and criminal trials have yet to shift public sentiment against him in the GOP primary race. When South Carolina rolls around, Haley must decide how far she wants to go in her bid to unseat Trump as her party’s presidential nominee.
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