'Should’ve never run': Nikki Haley slammed as Trump wins GOP primary in her home state of South Carolina

WASHINGTON, DC: Nikki Haley was soundly defeated by Donald Trump in the South Carolina Republican primary, marking the former president's another step toward a general election rematch with POTUS Joe Biden.

Haley, who has pledged to continue in the race although her route to the nomination is quickly closing, had an unpleasant night when the results were announced within seconds after the votes closed. 

Donald Trump wins South Carolina Republican primary

During a celebration at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds in Columbia, Donald Trump announced his quick victory, smirking and remarking, "This was a little sooner than we anticipated."

The former president's success consolidates the explosive momentum he generated after winning in Nevada, Iowa, and New Hampshire. However, Trump is changing the tone of his primary campaign by asking his supporters to start paying attention to the general election in November.

Trump noted the timeline before the presidential election later this year and said, "Nine months is a long time. I just wish we could do it quicker."

He added, "You know, in certain countries, you're allowed to call your election date. If I had the right to do it, I'd do it tomorrow. I'd say we're having an election tomorrow."

The former president, fresh off of his overwhelming victories and several indictments he alleges are political persecutions, doesn't want to lose the momentum he thinks he has.

"South Carolina – thank you very much. Go home, get rest. We have a lot of work ahead of us," Trump stated.

After more than 50 years, Haley's defeat on Saturday is the first time a Republican contender has lost the presidential primary in their state. The last was Richard Nixon, who lost the California primary to Ronald Reagan, a native of the state.

But despite her lackluster showing in the primary thus far and depressing polls that showed her losing Trump in both national and state races by significant percentages, Haley declared during a "state of the race" speech on Tuesday that she was "far from" abandoning her campaign.

The former governor of South Carolina announced her intention to remain in the Republican primary for 2024 until Super Tuesday, which takes place on March 5 and features elections in 16 states and one territory. An incredible 874 delegates are up for grabs on that one day.

Internet slams Nikki Haley after losing to Donald Trump

After her loss to Donald Trump in her home state, Nikki Haley faced criticism and was mocked on social media. A user wrote on X, "Nikki Haley has already said she won’t drop out anytime soon even though she has no chance of winning the GOP nomination. She’s America-Last.

Another person wrote, "The only question now is how humiliated Nikki is going to be in her home state" while one added, "She should have dropped out a while ago. If she truly cares about America she would drop out and endorse Donald Trump."

A user further mentioned, "Nikki should’ve never run. She only ran at the behest of her owners" while another commented, "I just hope Nikki doesn't play the victim when she concedes today. She's becoming more desperate every day that she stays in with no path to victory."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.