Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley this weekend will kick off a bus tour of her home state of South Carolina ahead of its looming primary. Dubbed the “Beast of the Southeast,” the whirlwind mission will embark on dozens of campaign stops across the Palmetto State.
The hope, of course, is to jar loose the iron grip that former President Donald Trump currently holds on the Republican nominating process. Its primary is set for Feb. 24.
Haley could only watch as the 45th president secured impressive victories in Iowa and New Hampshire. And then the truly embarrassing moment of her campaign unfolded in Nevada.
Nikki Haley is launching an around-the-state bus tour as South Carolina’s GOP primary nears.https://t.co/GNfcLbbw7T
— WCBD News 2 | Count on 2 (@WCBD) February 8, 2024
The former South Carolina governor finished a distant second in that state’s primary to “None of These Candidates.” The vast majority of the GOP electorate chose that alternative as Trump was not on the ballot.
He instead was a choice in the Nevada Republican caucuses.
But Haley believes that she can close the sizable gap with a strong showing in her home state. Nearly all of South Carolina’s prominent Republicans are solidly in the Trump camp, but she claims it just cements her role as an outsider and underdog.
The former governor’s chances of success are slim despite the planned whirlwind tour. Trump remains a popular figure in the state and has a significant advantage in virtually all polls.
The bus tour plans to get underway this weekend with several stops in locales important to the hometown candidate. Among the scheduled stops are Bamberg, Clemson, and Lexington, where Haley was raised, attended college, and raised her family.
The state’s early voting period begins Monday, and Haley will try to convince the electorate to throw their support behind the native daughter.
She repeatedly criticized the frontrunner for not spending what she considered to be enough time in South Carolina. Meanwhile, she put all her eggs in one basket after completely ignoring the race in Nevada.
But Trump is also descending onto the state. He has several events lined up in the next two weeks where he will be joined by influential state Republicans.
Many in the South Carolina congressional delegation have called on Haley to drop her bid for the White House. A devastating loss in her home state may accomplish that goal.