Conservatives take aim at Haley after Trump wins South Carolina primary: ‘No pathway to victory’

Former President Trump’s victory in the South Carolina Republican primary Saturday night quickly sparked a response from conservatives on social media, many of whom said they believe GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley should step aside and drop out of the race.

The primary was called for the former president and 2024 GOP frontrunner just moments after polls closed Saturday night, with Trump saying he looks forward to delivering his signature line to President Biden: ‘Joe, you’re fired.’

‘Congratulations to President Trump on another DOMINANT primary election victory in SC,’ Florida GOP Rep. Byron Donalds wrote in a post on X. ‘Nikki Haley has lost BIG in every primary & she’s now lost her home state. It’s clear Republicans want President Trump to be our nominee & Nikki Haley has no pathway to victory.’

Kansas GOP Sen. Roger Marshall also weighed in on Trump’s victory, writing on X, ‘Congratulations to President Trump for his landslide victory in South Carolina. It’s past time for the GOP to end this political primary charade and unite behind the clear nominee, Donald J. Trump.’

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah said the ‘(proverbial) lady is now (metaphorically) singing. Trump won. It’s over. Haley should drop out now.’

Radio host and former presidential candidate Larry Elder said that Haley ‘loses and declares victory.’

Haley, however, has said she is staying in the race.

‘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,’ she told supporters.

‘Today, in South Carolina, we’re getting around 40% of the vote. That’s about what we got in New Hampshire too. I’m an accountant. I know 40% is not 50%. But I also know 40% is not some tiny group,’ she said. ‘There are huge numbers of voters in our Republican primaries who are saying they want an alternative.’

‘We’re headed to Michigan tomorrow. And we’re headed to the Super Tuesday states throughout all of next week,’ she said.

Commentator Jesse Kelly called on Trump to take a forward-looking approach as he took another step closer to becoming the nominee.

‘Time for Team Trump to tighten up messaging and stop talking about Nikki Haley. And Ron DeSantis. Take the W and focus on Biden. Absolutely zero benefit comes from blasting the ones you’ve beaten,’ he said.

When asked by Fox News Digital whether he wanted Nikki Haley to drop out of the race, Trump told Fox News Digital that he’s ‘really not thinking about that… I’m not thinking about it.’ 

‘I’m really thinking about we have to beat Joe Biden,’ he told Fox News Digital. ‘I don’t know if she’s in the race at all, because, you know, I have set records in every single state. I’m not sure that she’s really in the race.’

Fox News’ Emily Robertson, Aubrie Spady and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.