'Not too sure': Nikki Haley slammed for claiming Donald Trump can't win because he 'drives people away'

CHARLESTON, SC: Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, is determined to obstruct Donald Trump's easy path to the GOP presidential nomination despite her humiliating home-state defeat.

Speaking to supporters on Saturday night at an election night watch party, Haley restated her intention to continue running because she believed Trump would lose in November.

Making the case that her performance so far foreshadows problems for Trump’s general election campaign, she said, "I don’t believe Donald Trump can beat Joe Biden."

Nikki Haley claims Donald Trump 'drives people away'

Haley's unofficial vote percentage is still subject to change. As of 9:30 p.m. ET, it was estimated that she had garnered around 39% of the total votes cast.

Haley said, "Nearly every day Trump drives people away. Today we’re getting 40 percent of the vote. That’s about what we got in New Hampshire. I know 40 percent isn’t 50 percent. I also know 40 percent is not some tiny group. There are a huge number of voters in our Republican primary who want an alternative."

Haley mentioned that Michigan, which holds its primary on Tuesday, will be her next campaign stop. CNN called the South Carolina race for Trump at nearly 7 p.m., even before the elegant Hotel Charleston's ballroom opened to visitors for Haley's watch party.

When the ballroom was shown on CNN's livestream, her followers cheered and started dancing. The excitement was palpable, and many Haley fans didn't seem discouraged by the abrupt race announcement or the overall status of the contest.

Rachel Geilenfeld, who led the Women for Haley coalition in Iowa, said, "I think that everybody here really believes in her message and leadership and that it’s time to turn the page on leadership in this country."

She informed HuffPost, "This is an unprecedented election and I think that Nikki needs to stay in as long as she thinks it’s the right thing to do."

Attendee Patricia Thompson, a lifelong Republican, pushed Haley to continue running so she could present a moral argument against Trump, or at the very least, so the GOP would have a backup plan in case he is compelled to quit owing to his legal troubles.

Internet mocks Nikki Haley for her statement on Donald Trump

Nikki Haley's statement on Donald Trump was criticized by internet users and they mocked her on social media. A user on X posted, "Must be so embarrassing for her," while one added, "If she can’t beat Trump then all of this is just vapor."

Another person mentioned, "Nikki can't beat either of them," while one stated, "She doesn't sound too sure about herself lol y u lie ladyyy."

Another person said, "All true, and yet she'll still vote for him if (when) he's the nominee of her party."

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.