Former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley made repeated swipes Saturday at former President Donald Trump at a Kiawah Island rally to encourage people to vote in the Feb. 24 “First in the South” Republican presidential primary in South Carolina.
“There were 14 candidates and we’ve defeated 12 of the fellows – and I’ve just got one more fellow left to defeat,” Haley told about 500 supporters gathered on a lawn in the Freshfields Village shopping district at lunchtime after her campaign bus arrived.”
She criticized Trump for focusing in recent days on just about everything other than issues that Americans care about. For example, she said he’s talked about his massive fines from court cases in which he is involved, her husband’s military deployment and even what she wore one night.
“At no point did he talk about the American people — about the 31% of eighth graders who aren’t proficient in reading; about the $34 trillion national debt; about our open borders” and the international conflicts going on around the world. “All he did is talk about himself. We’ve got to get beyond these candidates who focus only on themselves, not the American people.”
Later, she added, “It is time we finally put the past behind us and elect a new conservative generational leader.”
Earlier this week, a Winthrop Poll showed Trump with a 2-1 margin over Haley.
With 65% of likely voters saying they’ll back Trump, he has a 36% lead over Haley, according to the poll of more than 1,700 voters. But among likely independent voters, the split is almost even with 42.6% supporting Trump and 42.3% backing Haley. Trump maintains a stronghold among Republican voters with 72%.
One man, a lawyer from Seabrook Island, said he voted for Trump twice over the years, but no longer can. “He’s lost his mind,” the man said.
On Friday, a Citadel Poll of 1,000 registered voters showed similar results among 505 likely Republican primary voters with 64% saying they preferred Trump and 31% for Haley.
According to the survey, “former Gov. Haley’s modern day whistle-stop tour in the Midlands and Lowcountry is a recognition that she is well-liked in the state but needs her supporters to be more enthusiastic about voting before Saturday Feb. 24. Early voting is a key to her beating expectations, because a majority of voters who plan to vote early support Gov. Haley.”
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