Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley announced that she will be giving a “state of the race” address on Tuesday, fueling rumors of a potential exit.
In a press release, the Haley campaign announced that the former South Carolina governor will be speaking at 12 p.m. eastern time in Greenville. Details provided on the speech were scarce, with media outlets being informed that Haley will be speaking on the “state of the race.”
JUST IN — Nikki Haley will deliver a “State of the Presidential Race” speech tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/3R4zCGYSbp
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) February 19, 2024
The announcement comes just days before South Carolina’s Republican primary, which is expected to produce another victory for former President Donald Trump.
It has fueled speculation that Haley, who has failed to win a single state, will be exiting the race before a likely loss in her home state. The RealClearPolitics polling average currently indicates a 31-point lead to the former president, who has already secured big wins in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Haley has maintained that she will be staying in the race as the South Carolina primary approaches, telling supporters in Columbia on Saturday that she views her campaign as a success thus far. “There were 14 candidates in the race. We’ve defeated a dozen of the fellas, I just have one more fella to catch up to,” she said.
Despite Haley’s assurances that she will be staying in the race, other 2024 Republican hopefuls have suspended their campaigns without much warning, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
A number of other former Republican presidential contenders, including DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tim Scott (R-SC) and others have already endorsed Trump after exiting the race.
Haley has provided mixed messaging when asked if she will support Trump in November. When asked if she would support the nominee during the first Republican debate this past summer, Haley was among the first to raise her hand.
Her answers have been less concrete in recent weeks, however. “Keep in mind, I am running against him for a reason. I’m running against him, because I don’t think… he’s the right person at the right time. I don’t think he should be president,” the former UN ambassador told ABC News on Sunday. “The last thing on my mind is who I’m going to support. The only thing on my mind is how we’re going to win this.”
