In late February, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is expected to face a “smackdown” in her native state of South Carolina, according to a pollster for the Trump campaign.
Tony Fabrizio, a former president’s pollster, demonstrated in a confidential memorandum distributed to donors and supporters that the incumbent Republican leader is poised to secure a 39-point victory in the first-in-the-South primary of South Carolina.
According to Fabrizio, who served as the chief pollster for Trump in 2016 and 2020, the 45th president commands a substantial 64 percent support base in South Carolina, surpassing Haley’s 25 percent.
“President Trump is set to deliver a South Carolina smackdown to Nikki Haley in her home state where she is best known,” Fabrizio said.
8 percent of the vote is in favor of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), who placed the Palmetto State ahead of New Hampshire.
Additionally, the polling revealed that the potential assertiveness of Trump supporters extended well beyond Haley’s home state.
58% of Trump supporters said they would “absolutely” vote for him, which is significantly higher than the 18% who said the same thing about the former governor of South Carolina.
Fabrizio’s data establishes a formidable standard for Trump, who is seeking to secure a primary victory in New Hampshire on Tuesday after a dominant performance in Iowa, where he won the caucuses by 30 points.
On Friday, the former president gained additional momentum due to the impending endorsement of Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.).
The Republican senator, who withdrew his candidacy for the White House in November, broke with Haley, who had appointed him to the upper chamber during her tenure as South Carolina’s governor.
In addition, the memo’s data indicates that in the event of DeSantis’ withdrawal, a greater proportion of his supporters would defect to Trump rather than Haley.
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