(NewsNation) — Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley intends to keep fighting for the Republican presidential nomination after losing her home state’s primary contest to Donald Trump on Saturday.
“I’m a woman of my word. I’m not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden,” Haley told her supporters Saturday evening.
In her speech, the former South Carolina Governor pushed back against the idea that a Trump-Biden rematch is inevitable and said other states should have an opportunity to weigh in as opposed to “a Soviet-style election with only one candidate.”
Haley said she doesn’t believe Trump can beat Biden and argued that Americans are ready to move on from both.
“One of them calls his fellow Americans fascists. The other calls his fellow Americans vermin. They aren’t fighting for our country’s future. They’re demanding we fight each other,” she said.
Saturday’s defeat marks another setback for Haley, who has already lost to Trump in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.
The former president held a commanding 30-point polling lead heading into the night and the contest was called in his favor almost immediately after polls closed.
Trump touted a “unified” Republican party in his victory speech but Haley disagreed with that assessment.
“What I saw today was South Carolina’s frustration with our country’s direction,” she said, pointing out that she’s receiving around 40% of the vote.
Now, the two Republican White House hopefuls are headed to Michigan to make their case to primary voters.
Haley has pledged to stay in the race until at least Super Tuesday on March 5, when more than a dozen primary contests take place.