Nikki Haley defiantly declared on Tuesday that she will not withdraw from the GOP presidential race, despite mounting pressure from former President Donald Trump and his supporters.
“I feel no need to kiss the ring. And I have no fear of Trump’s retribution. I’m not looking for anything from him,” Haley proclaimed during an impassioned speech.
Amid speculation that Haley might exit the race after her campaign announced plans for a “state of the race” address on Monday, she instead seized the opportunity to reinforce her criticism of Trump.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Haley asserted to the media and approximately 50 supporters.
In a departure from her previous rallies, Haley displayed a more emotional side, shedding tears as she spoke about her husband Michael’s military deployment overseas, noting his absence from her campaign trail. Trump had previously ridiculed Haley’s husband’s absence and questioned his whereabouts during a rally in early February.
In her strongest rebuke yet aimed at the former president, Haley argued that another Trump administration would be disastrous, and that many Republican politicians who outwardly support his candidacy privately “dread him.”