Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is warning that former President Donald Trump being the GOP presidential nominee in November would be “suicide” for the country.
“This may be survival mode to pay his legal fees and get out of some sort of legal peril, but this is like suicide for our country,” she told the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. “We’ve got to realize that if we don’t have someone who can win in a general election, all we are doing is caving to the socialist Left.”
Haley’s comments follow her series of primary losses to Trump, including a devastating blow in her home state of South Carolina on Saturday, after which she pledged to stay in the race, citing voters’ “disapproval” of another Trump and President Joe Biden rematch.
“I’m doing what I think is right. I’m doing what I think 70% of Americans want me to do,” she said.
Haley distinguished herself among her Republican presidential rivals (all but Trump have since dropped out) as a younger option who does better among independents and moderates. Though she used to have a positive relationship with Trump during her time as United Nations ambassador in his administration, she said in the interview she wasn’t sure if that relationship could be revived but that it “wasn’t personal” for her.
She has also raised concerns about voters’ fatigue with Trump and Biden, as well as criticized her opponent’s mental fitness. Haley previously said she would endorse whoever the Republican nominee is, but when asked about the matter Tuesday, Haley turned her comments toward Biden.
“What I will tell you is that I have serious concerns about Donald Trump. I have more serious concerns about Joe Biden,” she said.
In a RealClearPolitics polling average, Trump currently leads Haley by about 50 percentage points in the battleground state of Michigan, the next state holding a primary.
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Ahead of the 874 delegates on the table on Super Tuesday, Haley’s tally is currently at 20, while Trump has 110. While some Republicans have been putting pressure on Haley to drop out of the race and get behind Trump, Democratic leaders have praised Haley for standing her ground.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) told CNN earlier this week that Haley has done a “tremendous job” battling against Trump. Similarly, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) said ahead of Saturday’s primary that “she was one of our better surrogates” and wished her luck in South Carolina.
