Hailey Calls Nevada Primary Defeat a "Fraud Manipulated by Trump"

Defeated by 'No Support Candidate' After Solo Candidacy
Trailing Trump in South Carolina as Well

Nikki Haley, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Republican presidential candidate, criticized Trump by calling the Nevada primary, where she was defeated, a "scam."

In an interview with Fox Business on the 7th (local time), Haley stated, "There is no denying that the Nevada primary is a scam," and claimed, "Trump manipulated it from the beginning."

Nikki Haley campaigning in the third primary state, South Carolina
[Photo by Yonhap News]

When the Republican National Committee decided to allocate delegates only to the Nevada caucus held on the 8th (local time), former President Trump did not participate in the Nevada primary. Haley’s defeat in the virtually uncontested Nevada primary is interpreted as an attempt to downplay the significance of the election.

On that day, with 88% of votes counted, Haley received 30.5%, suffering the humiliation of being outpaced by the "No Preference" option, which garnered 63.2%. Had Haley won decisively, it could have helped her gain momentum for future campaigning. It is reported that Trump supporters launched a campaign to vote for "No Preference" to undermine Haley’s momentum.

Meanwhile, Haley is also reportedly trailing former President Trump in the South Carolina primary scheduled for the 24th. Although it is her hometown and the state where she once served as governor, recent polls show her trailing Trump by a 30-point margin.