Is it settled?
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks during a FOX News Channel town hall Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, in Greenville, S.C., with moderator Laura Ingraham. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Though the next event on the presidential primary calendar is this Saturday in South Carolina – the home state of former governor Nikki Haley – there is a growing consensus that the primary calendar is now a formality. Donald Trump is increasingly seen as, and is acting as, the presumptive nominee.
If the polls are to be believed, Nikki Haley is going to be trounced in her home state this weekend. According to the Real Clear Politics average of polls, the former president is up over Haley by 25 points. A USA Today/Suffolk poll taken just this week shows Trump over Haley by nearly 30.
Both candidates are in the state. And despite the polls, Nikki Haley vows to stay in the race come what may. Here she is at an event in Greenville, South Carolina yesterday.
Some of you, perhaps a few of you in the media, came here today to see if I’m dropping out of the race. Well I’m not. [snip] South Carolina will vote on Saturday, but on Sunday I’ll still be running for president. I’m not going anywhere.”
It is frequently the case in presidential politics that a candidate who is unlikely to win the nomination stays in the race for the purpose of becoming the eventual nominee’s pick for vice president. That question came up last night during a FOX News Channel townhall event with former president Trump. Host Laura Ingraham played a clip of Ms. Haley addressing the VP scenario and asked for Trump’s reaction.
NIKKI HALEY: Some people used to say I was running because I really wanted to be vice president. I think I’ve pretty well settled that question.
LAURA INGRAHAM: Has she settled that question?
DONALD TRUMP: Well, I settled it about three months ago.”
Regarding the pick for VP, there was another South Carolinian at the townhall last night. It was that state’s junior senator – and until recently a candidate for president himself – Tim Scott. Without specifically coming out and saying it, Trump made it clear that Tim Scott is on his VP short list.
He has been much better for me than he was for himself. I watched his campaign and he doesn’t like talking about himself, but boy does he talk about Trump. And I said, you know, I called him. I said, Tim, you’re better for me than you were for yourself. But he’s fantastic and he’s a fantastic person.”
When the voting is done in South Carolina this Saturday, it will be on to Super Tuesday just 10 days later. Fifteen states – one of which is Texas – representing 36 percent of the available delegates to the Republican National Convention will be up for grabs on Tuesday, March 5.
Considering the polls, acknowledging the legal challenges facing Donald Trump – one of which is a $350 million civil judgement just handed down against him in New York – and acknowledging Nikki Haley’s dogged determination to remain in the race, it is nigh impossible to imagine any scenario in which Donald Trump doesn’t become the GOP nominee.
