Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley declared during her state's primary on Saturday that she would not back down from the race to be the Republican nominee for president because a sizable group is still supporting her.
Speaking amid the vote counting Saturday evening, which at the time was reading former President Donald Trump at 59% and Haley at 40%, the former U.N. ambassador strolled out to a crowd of cheering supporters.
"This has never been about me or my political future," Haley proclaimed amid cheers. "We need to beat Joe Biden in November.
"I don't believe Donald Trump can beat Joe Biden. Nearly every day, Trump drives people away — including with his comments just yesterday."
She said her numbers were sizable. "Today, in South Carolina, we're getting around 40% of the vote. That's about what we got in New Hampshire, too. I'm going to count it. I know 40% is not 50%, but I also know 40% is not some tiny group," Haley said.
According to Newsmax projections at 9:24 p.m. EST, Trump was ahead with 60.3% of the vote to 39.1% for Haley.