Nikki Haley rejects calls to drop out despite dismal polls

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley made an all-hands call to drop out of the presidential race on Tuesday, as former President Donald Trump continues to dominate the polls just days before his home state's primary.

Haley's campaign sent out a media alert Monday evening announcing she would deliver a “state of the race address,” prompting speculation the former governor may drop out of the race ahead of South Carolina's primary on Saturday . The former governor vowed to stay in the race for her home state and beyond during his speech, and said he's not afraid of “Trump's retribution.”

“We've all heard the calls for him to quit. We all know where they're coming from: the political elite, the party bosses, the cheerleaders in the commentator world,” Haley said. “The argument is familiar. They say I haven't won a state, that my path to victory is slim. They point to the primary polls and say I'm just delaying the inevitable. Why keep fighting, when it seems the battle was it over after iowa?

“I listen to what the political class is saying, but I also listen to the American people,” Haley added. “They know that when the future of the country is at stake, you don't give up. You keep fighting. In fact, you fight harder than ever. That's why I refuse to give up. South Carolina will vote on Saturday, but I'm still running for president on Sunday — I'm not going anywhere.”

Haley was third in the Iowa caucus, second place in the New Hampshire primary, and lost with the “None of these candidates” option in the snowfall primary, where he did not compete for delegates.

A Suffolk University/USA Today poll released Tuesday found the former president leading Haley 63 percent to 35 percent among “very likely” Republican primary voters in South Carolina. The poll indicated Trump was ahead by double digits in numerous voting blocs, while the former governor led 59 percent to 38 percent among self-identified moderates or liberals.

Trump also leads Haley by 41 to 77 points in key Super Tuesday states including Alabama, California, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, according to a Morning Consult. poll published on February 7. These states and many others will hold their respective nominating contests on March 5.

Former President Donald Trump's campaign sent a note right before Haley's speech, arguing that she has a “serious math problem.” The campaign's Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles estimated that in the next four weeks, Trump will have secured the necessary number of mandatory delegates to win the Republican nomination before the Republican National Committee convention in mid-July.

“The Real 'State' of Nikki Haley's Campaign?” says the note “Broken down, out of ideas, out of gas and completely outclassed by every measure, by Donald Trump.”

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