Nikki Haley says she's a voice for dissatisfied voters: 'I'm not doing this to be VP'

TROY, Michigan – Just a day after a sizable loss in her home state of South Carolina, Nikki Haley made her case on Sunday to Michigan, ahead of this state’s Republican presidential primary on Tuesday.

Haley’s not giving up, despite losing every primary contest thus far to former President Donald Trump. The former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has chosen to continue standing for the significant number of Americans who aren’t satisfied with the current front-runners. In South Carolina, she garnered roughly 40% of the vote, as she did in New Hampshire.

In an interview with me ahead of her Sunday evening rally, Haley said she is the Republican Party’s best hope to beat President Joe Biden in November. And that’s her No. 1 goal.

“I’m continuing this fight because 70% of Americans don’t want to see Donald Trump or Joe Biden,” she told me. “If you look at the early states, 40% (of Republican voters) have rejected Donald Trump. If you’re the Republican technical incumbent, that doesn't bode well for the Republican Party.

“And so as long as there is this group of Americans that are saying we want better, I feel a duty to keep on fighting. I feel a duty to keep on showing a voice.”

Republican Party needs to 'wake up'

As with the earlier primary states, Trump holds a dominant lead in Michigan over Haley by about 50 points. But Haley isn't letting the polls slow her down, and she said she will stay in the race at least through Super Tuesday on March 5, when 15 states and one territory vote.

Her ability to keep campaigning hinges on how much money she has on hand.

Haley has kept posting strong fundraising numbers, which points to the dissatisfaction among many voters. She was dealt a blow Sunday, however, when Americans for Prosperity Action, the conservative powerhouse associated with billionaire Charles Koch, announced it would end its financial support of Haley’s campaign after Saturday’s loss in South Carolina.

Given what all the polls show about dissatisfaction with both Trump and Biden, it’s jarring that the country is likely to again face that choice in November, one so many people say they don’t want. 

Do Republicans want to win? Nikki Haley dominates Biden in polls. Why are Republican primary voters so stuck on Trump?

Haley, 52, said both Republicans and Democrats need to “wake up” and think hard about what they’re doing with Trump, 77, and Biden, 81.

“I think it’s interesting that we’ve got a country in disarray, a world on fire, and we think we’re going to go forward with two 80-year-olds,” she said. “It defies logic when you need someone who’s got to serve eight years, day and night, no drama, no vendettas, just results for the American people. We’ve gotta think about that, right?”

Haley said she is the best alternative for Americans who say they want another choice, and she said the amount of support she’s receiving should be a warning for the Republican Party.

“It’s a warning sign that Donald Trump can't win an election,” Haley said. “It's a warning sign when you let one man turn the Republican Party into his own personal playpen.”

A third-party run? 'We'll have to wait and see.'

I asked Haley what she plans to do if Republicans aren’t smart enough to choose her as their candidate. Shouldn’t voters who won’t support Trump or Biden still have a choice?

Speculation has been rampant that she could join forces with a group like No Labels for a third-party run.

An alternative in November: Biden's toast. Trump's unhinged. How about a third-party ticket led by Nikki Haley?

Haley’s not ready to talk about that, however, and she’s committed to her party.

“I’m a Republican,” she said. “At this point I don't know how you translate that over. The reason people are gravitating towards me is because the tone at the top matters and how you talk about issues matters. People don’t want to be hating each other. They don’t want under this tent of anger anymore. They don’t want the division.

“And so I’m trying to bring it to where we can have an America that doesn’t have that. But that’s through the Republican Party that I do this. So we'll have to wait and see.”

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Haley also said that serving as Trump's vice president is out of the question for her: “I'm not doing this to be VP. I’m not doing this to be a third-party candidate. I’m not doing this for my political career. I’m doing it truly out of a love of America. And because I’m worried about my kids and everybody else’s kids

“We’re better than the country we are seeing right now with the division that we have.”

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is Haley still running for president? Because 'Trump can't win'