(NewsNation) — Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said she’s staying in the race days ahead of the GOP primary in South Carolina, despite her opponent Donald Trump’s substantial polling lead in the state.
“Some of you, perhaps a few of you in the media, came here today to see if I’m dropping out of the race. Well, I’m not. Far from it,” the former South Carolina governor said during a speech Tuesday in Greenville. “I’m running for president because we have a country to save.”
Haley, who also served as United Nations ambassador in Trump’s administration, said calls for her to drop out have come from the “political elite.”
“I’m not afraid to say the hard truths out loud. I feel no need to kiss the ring,” she said. “I have no fear of Trump’s retribution. I’m not looking for anything from him. My own political future is of zero concern.”
Still, even in Haley’s home state, she’s trailing Trump by double digits — as much as 30 points, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ averages.
The Trump campaign, meanwhile, feels pretty confident — they just pushed out a memo pressuring her to drop out. Sources tell NewsNation that Haley does not have the delegate math to stay in the race.
Haley’s campaign, though, released a new ad Monday in South Carolina, part of a $6 million ad buy before Saturday’s vote.
This story is developing. Refresh for updates.
