South Carolina primary live: Trump claims victory as Haley vows not to give up

Shortlived Trump White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci wrote on X on Saturday that “Trump had a great night in SC. However in 4 states the exit polls average 40 percent of Haley voters won’t vote for him. He can’t make it to the presidency without the crossover vote. He and his team knows this”.

Haley supporter Cathy Evan told The Independent: “I’m glad she’s staying in.”

She added that it was important she continue providing an alternative to Trump.

“Today in South Carolina, we’re getting around 40% of the vote,” Haley noted. “That’s about what we got New Hampshire too.

“I’m gonna count it. I know 40% is not 50% but I also know 40% is not some tiny group.

“There are huge numbers of voters in our Republican primaries who were saying they want an alternative.

“I said earlier this week that no matter what happens in South Carolina, I would continue to run … I’m a woman of my word,” she added.

“I’m not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden,” she said.

“I want to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory. And I want to thank the people of South Carolina for using the power of your voice,” the ex-governor said. “No matter the results, I love the people of our state. I love what we accomplished together and I love how we united during our worst challenges and tragedies.”

“I’ve always seen our state as a family. Families are honest with each other. They say the hard truth that’s what I’ve done this entire campaign. And that’s what I’ll do now.

“What I saw today was South Carolina’s frustration with our country’s direction. I’ve seen that same frustration nationwide. I share it I feel it to my core. I couldn’t be more worried about America.

“It seems like our country is falling apart. But here’s the thing. America will come apart. If we make the wrong choices. This has never been about me or my political future. We need to beat Joe Biden in November,” she said.

Nikki Haley began by saying: “I want to start off obviously with thanking my family. I am so incredibly blessed.”

“I was able to speak with Michael this morning. His support has been amazing. The kids have really stepped up sometimes too much – but they have stepped up in a way that has made me so proud. I am blessed because I had the ability to actually go vote today with my mom,” she added.

“There’s something very special with the fact that she was a lawyer in India and she was she was named one of the first female judges, and because of the times she was never able to sit on the bench, but the fact that she could go with me and cast her ballot for her daughter as President of the United States was amazing,” she said.

As if Saturday could not be any more brutal for Nikki Haley as she lost the presidential primary in her home state of South Carolina, the final day of the Conservative Political Action Conference showed movement conservatives do not want her to be Donald Trump’s running mate.

CPAC closed by showing the final results of the CPAC straw poll, which the former Trump adviser said would be to determine who would “ride shotgun” with Mr Trump.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who spoke at the conference on Friday, tied with former presidential candidate and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who headlined CPAC’s Reagan Dinner on Friday and spoke again on Saturday after Mr Trump, at 15 per cent each.

Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who has touted her exit from the Democratic Party and spoke on Friday, got second place, with nine per cent of attendees at CPAC supporting her to become Mr Trump’s running mate.

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, a former presidential candidate who has since endorsed Mr Trump, and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, the moderate-turned-MAGA New Yorker, both clocked in at 8 per cent.

But Ms Haley, who spoke at CPAC last year but served as the butt of jokes by many at the conference, only won 2 per cent of the vote, tying her with Ohio Senator JD Vance, who spoke for a sitdown interview at CPAC this year.

McLaughlin & Associates, which serves as Mr Trump’s pollsters, ran the survey, which gives the survey an imprimatur of Trump support, even if it is not exactly scientific.