Will Nikki Haley drop out of the presidential race if she loses against Trump in New Hampshire?
Nikki Haley has spent a lot of time in New Hampshire hoping to attract more moderate GOP voters... but what is her plan if she loses to Donald Trump?
Voters in New Hampshire are heading to the polls to vote in the state’s primary. Much of the focus is on the GOP race, particularly after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dropped out of the race for the White House, leaving former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley as the only challenger to Donald Trump. While initially, it appeared that the effort the Haley campaign had put into New Hampshire could help her secure a first-place victory, the polls have turned against her and towards the former president. The most recent poll conducted by Suffolk University, The Boston Globe, and WBTS-CD Boston on the 21st and 22nd of January showed Haley twenty-two points behind Trump.
Daily Wave #3 with net change in parentheses
— David Paleologos (@davidpaleologos) January 19, 2024
Suffolk University/Boston Globe/NBC-10 poll of 500 likely NH GOP Primary voters.
Two-day rolling average of field (1/17-1/18)
Topline Ballot Test "First Choice":
Trump 52 (+2)
Haley 35 (-1)
DeSantis 6 (--)
Someone else 1 (--)…
Trump leads in New Hampshire
Even if Nikki Haley can secure a victory in New Hampshire, her odds of winning the remaining primaries are improbable. It is all but assumed that Donald Trump will be the GOP candidate in 2024, facing incumbent President Joe Biden on the November ballot. The only way Donald Trump could be unseated as the nominee is if the party chooses to go with another candidate at the convention this summer. This outcome is also unlikely as it would frustrate the base of the party, whose votes will be necessary regardless of which candidate sits at the top of the ticket.
The outlook for the Haley campaign
Some political analysts believe that if the Haley campaign fails to win in New Hampshire, it will likely lose momentum. There are also speculations that Haley is considering running as Trump’s vice president in the upcoming elections.
While Trump could change his mind, it is essential to note that he recently said that he would not choose her because he considers running at all to be a sign of disloyalty.
Nikki Haley made it clear to New Hampshire voters that she won't serve as former President Donald Trump's vice president if he wins the Republican nomination https://t.co/o29Z4NeYqn pic.twitter.com/TuaLqODKuh
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 22, 2024
Aside from Trump’s comments, Haley needs to weigh the risks associated with aligning herself with Trump, much like former Vice President Mike Pence, as it could harm her reputation. Haley must carefully consider the fate of all those associated with Trump and decide whether she will take the risk.