Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley stumped in Virginia and the Washington, D.C., metro area Thursday as she tries to gin up as much support possible ahead of the all-important Super Tuesday nominating contests.
She and former President Donald Trump remain the two major GOP presidential candidates running in the primary. They will compete over 15 states and one U.S. territory on Tuesday.
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But she currently trails her one-time boss in national polls by an average of 64 percentage points and has not won a single primary in the 2024 election cycle so far.
At a packed standing-room crowd at the Westin Richmond Hotel on Thursday afternoon, Haley attacked Trump and President Joe Biden repeatedly over a wide array of matters, including the immigration crisis at the southern border, reproductive rights, and their mental acuity.
“We need a president that’s going to have moral clarity, who knows the difference between right and wrong, who knows the difference between good and bad,” Haley said in a dig at Trump’s foreign policy stances, including his friendliness with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
She also took a swipe at Biden, whose mental capabilities have been a national concern in the wake of special counsel Robert Hur’s report that detailed Biden’s memory problems.
“When I say that, I’m not being disrespectful — we all know people who are over 75 who can run circles around us, and then we know Joe Biden,” she said to laughter from the audience.
Haley attempted to clarify exactly where she stands on in vitro fertilization after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos were legally children.
“We need to make sure that every parent has access to getting any fertility treatments that they need to have the blessing of a baby,” Haley said as the audience clapped. “The decision of what happens to those embryos should be strictly between the parents and the doctor. No one else.”
Haley is scheduled to host another rally in Falls Church, Virginia, later Thursday evening and another rally Friday in Washington.
Republicans in D.C. will spend Friday through Sunday at 7 p.m. voting for Trump or Haley in their primary. The primary will take place at Washington’s Madison Hotel on 15th Street NW, where Haley will speak.
Another candidate, David Stuckenberg, is also running in the primary but has little chance of winning. The ballot will include former presidential candidates Ryan Binkley, Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), Chris Christie, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), and Vivek Ramaswamy.
None of the voters the Washington Examiner spoke to knew of Stuckenberg’s candidacy, a sign of how ineffective his name recognition is.
D.C. will award all 19 delegates to the candidate who receives more than 50% of the vote. If neither Trump, Haley nor Stuckenberg wins 50% of the vote, delegates will be awarded proportionally, with candidates needing to reach 15% to receive delegates.
This is likely Haley’s sole chance to win a state or territory before Super Tuesday, as Washington remains a heavily Democratic region.
The former ambassador has cobbled together a coalition of anti-Trump Republican voters, independents, and some Democrats put off by Biden to support her campaign and help her to outlast the majority of the Republican primary field.
But Trump remains the de facto head of the GOP who has proven hard to dethrone.
Trump has won every nominating contest, beginning with the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15, followed by New Hampshire, Nevada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Michigan.
Voters told the Washington Examiner they would welcome a third-party run from Haley if she does not prevail next week.
“Part of me would love for her to run third party, and I would follow her,” said Ananda Targosh, 26, an administrative specialist who drove from Lynchburg, Virginia, to hear Haley speak. “My vote would follow.”
“If she doesn’t get it — she probably won’t — I hope she runs on a third party,” said Steve Pedersen, 65, a manager of a wholesale distribution company and a Richmond, Virginia, resident. “But I think that might be the one thing that might draw people together from both parties that are not registered or not committed, that are on the fence, that are willing to take a chance for change. I definitely think she should keep going.”
Haley’s campaign previously told the Washington Examiner a third-party campaign with the centrist group No Labels was not an option for the former governor.
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Trump will campaign on Saturday in Richmond as he prepares to dominate Haley on Tuesday. Yet Haley still encouraged supporters to vote early and bring 10 others with them.
“We need to make our voices heard,” Haley implored voters.
