Nikki Haley continues fundraising for her campaign despite defeat in South Carolina

EFE

Republican hopeful Nikki Haley, who suffered a defeat in South Carolina on Saturday, is not throwing in the towel. On Sunday, she once again appealed to her supporters for funds to finance the primary race, at least until the decisive March 5 Super Tuesday, where more than 800 party delegates are decided.

In a lengthy text message sent this morning to her followers, she announced that she is heading to Michigan — the next state to hold primaries — and then gearing up for Super Tuesday.

"But I need your help to fund my battle. Can you send a generous donation today to help me cover this critical next stretch?" the message says, insisting that she still sees "frustration" in the state and across the country, and that the United States "will break if we make the wrong decisions."

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Later, her marketing strategists put up for sale a T-shirt with a very simple slogan: "No fear," and on the sleeves, the candidate's name and the national flag.

"In America, we have elections, not coronations," Haley said in that message, referring to all the voices urging her to drop out of the race, given the almost absolute certainty that Donald Trump will win by a wide margin.

The final results in South Carolina ultimately gave 47 delegates to Trump and only three to Haley, so far, the difference is 110 delegates against 20. The media highlights that Haley theoretically played on favorable ground in South Carolina (where she not only was born and raised but also served as governor from 2011 to 2017).

In the upcoming states, as almost all media outlets agree, the Republican electorate is much more favorable to Trump, and Haley could rely on those states where the legislation allows people outside the Republican Party to vote, as was the case on Saturday in South Carolina (and even then, she only won in two districts, the most urban ones).

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Trump tones it down but overshadows Haley

One detail that caught attention last night was the measured tone Donald Trump used to celebrate his victory in South Carolina: he did not mock Haley's given name, Nimrata Nikki.

Today, Trump has only written two messages on his Truth Social network, comparing himself to Joe Biden, without the slightest reference to his immediate rival who is still in the race.

The New York Times interprets this new tone from Trump as a sign that he will try to reach out to moderate voters, those who share his ideas but detest the rough or impolite tone of the former president, "a vengeful and bully-like tone," as Haley defines it. In fact, many people interviewed by EFE in South Carolina who declared themselves Haley voters do not object so much to Trump's policies but to his style and unpredictable character.