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Former U.S. president Donald Trump continues to hold a commanding lead in early-voting South Carolina over former Palmetto State governor Nikki Haley – even with some Democrats mulling a crossover campaign in support of his lone remaining GOP rival.
According to a new Winthrop University survey released this week, 64.9 percent of likely “First in the South” presidential primary voters were supporting Trump compared to 28.7 percent who backed Haley, the state’s governor from 2011-2017. That’s a massive 36.2 percent spread, people … one Haley is running out of time to close.
The Winthrop poll contained even more bad news for Haley – notably an erosion in her favorability ratings in her own backyard. According to the survey, Haley has seen a 15 percent dip in her favorability ratings over the past three months – along with a 17 percent increase in her unfavorability ratings.
(Click to View)
(Winthrop Poll)
“As we look at her favorability ratings among Republicans in South Carolina between the November 2023 Winthrop Poll and now, we see a significant dip in favorability, and rise in unfavorability, that seems to correspond with her increasing attacks on Trump,” noted Scott Huffmon, director of the poll. “This would seem to indicate that in South Carolina, as apparently in the nation as a whole, that the Republican Party is very much Trump’s party.”
The Winthrop poll surveyed 749 likely GOP presidential primary voters between February 2-10, 2024.
Also released this week was a new survey from CBS News/ YouGov. According to that data, 65 percent of likely South Carolina Republican primary voters backed Trump compared to only 30 percent who supported Haley – results virtually identical to the Winthrop numbers.
The CBS/ YouGov poll surveyed 1,004 likely voters between February 5-10, 2024
“It turns out not all politics is local,” the network’s reporters observed upon sharing the results.
Trump is in line for a blowout victory in the Palmetto State – even if Haley secures support from Democratic crossover voters who stayed home in droves when Joe Biden was on the ballot earlier this month.
Will Democrats turn out for Haley? Our Mark Powell is preparing a report on the Haley crossover phenomenon – which has sparked a debate at the S.C. State House over whether future ‘First in the South’ presidential primaries should be closed.
While Trump is unassailable in South Carolina – which propelled him to the presidency in 2016 – he is receiving criticism from the mainstream press for comments he made about the Cold War-era North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) at a rally in Conway last week.
Trump has led the charge to force NATO members to pay for their own defense rather than relying on American subsidies. During his administration, Trump recalled a European leader asking him whether the United States would still defend their nation in the event of a Russian invasion.
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“No, I would not protect you,” Trump recalled saying to the European leader. “In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.”
This media outlet has consistently supported Trump’s position vis-à-vis NATO, arguing its member nations should be compelled “to cough up more of their own money to pay for their own national defense.”
NATO nations promised they would do so a decade ago, but have for the most part failed to honor that commitment.
Trump is also receiving heat for comments made about Nikki Haley’s husband, Michael Haley – who has been deployed to the Horn of Africa since June 2023 with the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.
“Where’s her husband?” Trump asked the crowd. “Oh, he’s away. He’s away! What happened to her husband? What happened to her husband. Where is he? He’s gone.”
Retired U.S. Army brigadier general Don Bolduc slammed Trump for his comments about Michael Haley during a press conference at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, S.C. earlier today.
“Michael is there doing his job for his country and the comments that president Trump made about Michael’s service – knowing full well where Michael was – and trying to attribute that to some other characterization is absolutely disgraceful,” Bolduc said.
Trump will appear at the Charleston Area Convention Center this evening at 7:00 p.m. EST. Our Dylan Nolan will attend the event and provide a report on what he sees …
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina and before that he was a bass guitarist and dive bar bouncer. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven (soon to be eight) children.
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2 comments
I WILL NEVER FORGET that Donald Trump called our war dead losers and suckers, EVER! GO TO HELL Donald Trump! It’s where you belong, along with the spineless cowards who support you. You are all an insult to every American serviceman who has died in the defense of this country and everyone who has died defending freedom and justice in this world.
Hailey will lose in her Home State by a huge margin !!
Voters from all other states are wanting to know why she can’t carry her home state where she was Gov .
Can’t be the alleged affairs – that comes with the job ! There are many reasons SC voters don’t trust or like her . She reminds me of my last car I bought AS IS . You bought it and it’s your damn problem now – Dummy !!!!