Trump to win South Carolina GOP primary against Haley, moves closer to 2024 presidential nomination

Kevin Ferris/Fox News Digital

President Donald Trump clinched yet another Republican primary victory in South Carolina Saturday, after winning large victories in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primaries.

Democrats held their first presidential primary in South Carolina on Feb. 3 – after the party ditched Iowa as their first primary to a state more likely to vote President Biden for a second term.

At the Nevada primaries on Feb. 8, Trump once again came out victorious. Democrats contested in Nevada on Feb. 6 and Biden also won by a landslide.

On Feb. 27, Michigan will hold a primary race, the last primary before Super Tuesday on March 5, when various states will hold simultaneous primaries in the contest for a presidential nominee.

The presidential election season is quickly ramping up with must-watch state primaries and caucuses.

Fox News' Gabriele Regalbuto contributed to this report.

POLITICS

Trump wins South Carolina primary against Haley in her home state, moves closer to clinching GOP nomination

Former President Donald Trump was quickly projected as the winner of the South Carolina Republican presidential primary over former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley in the 2024 White House race

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Former President Donald Trump has won the South Carolina Republican presidential primary, Fox News Decision Desk projects.

Trump's rapidly-called victory on Saturday over former U.N. ambassador and former two-term South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in her home state moves the former president another step closer to clinching the 2024 GOP nomination. 

The Fox News Decision Desk projected Trump's primary just after polls closed at 7 p.m. ET in the Palmetto State.

"It's an early evening and a fantastic evening," Trump told a crowd of supporters gathered at the South Carolina state fairgrounds in Columbia, the state capitol, just minutes after polls closed and he was declared the victor.

"Celebrate for 15 minutes, but then we have to get back to work," he added, referencing next week's Michigan primary, and Super Tuesday the following week.

Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

The race between former President Donald Trump and his ex-Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley took a particularly bitter turn in the weeks leading up to the South Carolina primaries.

She was quick to stand against his candidacy in 2016, endorsing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in the primary. But by the time Haley left his administration in 2018, Trump heaped praise on her and lauded Haley as his “friend.”

“She's done a fantastic job and we've done a fantastic job together. We've solved a lot of problems and we’re in the process of solving a lot of problems,” he said.

Haley in turn praised Trump’s foreign policy, saying, “Countries may not like what we do, but they respect what we do.”

She condemned him in the week after the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack, however, telling Politico at the time, “I think he’s lost any sort of political viability he was going to have.”

Haley backpedaled somewhat in comments to the Wall Street Journal in October of that year, saying, “We need him in the Republican Party. I don’t want us to go back to the days before Trump.”

Even her decision to ultimately challenge him for president was preceded by Haley vowing in 2021 to never get into the Republican presidential primary if Trump was also running – before ultimately throwing her hat in the ring.

"This is not personal for me and Donald Trump," Haley said last week during an interview with Fox News' Neil Cavuto on "Cavuto Live."

Later, she added, "I have no issues with him personally."

Trump won the South Carolina primary Saturday night, despite being on Haley's home turf. After Trump's projected win, Haley repeated her promise to stay in the race through Super Tuesday primaries on March 5.

When asked whether he thought Haley should drop out, Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that he wasn't thinking about Haley at all.

"I’m really thinking about we have to beat Joe Biden," he told Fox News Digital. "I don’t know if [Haley] is 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' Brooke Singman and Liz Elkind contributed to this report.

POLITICS

NFL team owner appears on stage with Trump during South Carolina victory speech

NFL team owner and former ambassador Woody Johnson was on stage standing behind former President Donald Trump following Trump's victory in the South Carolina primary.

New York Jets owner and billionaire businessman Woody Johnson stood in support behind former President Trump in South Carolina on Saturday night after Trump was quickly projected the winner of the state’s primary.

Johnson, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom during the Trump administration, was on stage alongside his wife Suzanne behind Trump as the former president delivered a speech after his quick victory  in the Palmetto State primary on Saturday.

Johnson, a member of the founding family of Johnson & Johnson, has previously expressed support for the former president during the 2024 campaign.

"Americans remember how good it was or how much better it was on the border, and inflation, and gas prices, and grocery prices, all that, during the Trump administration, and they want to get back there," Johnson told News’ Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo earlier this month.

POLITICS

WATCH: Top Republicans showered with boos from Trump victory crowd, prompting jokes from former president

Two top Republicans faced boos during former President Donald Trump's South Carolina victory speech, prompting jokes from the former president.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Two top Republicans likely didn't get the welcome they expected from the crowd gathered to celebrate former President Donald Trump's victory in the South Carolina Republican primary on Saturday.

After being recognized by Trump during his speech, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and state GOP chair Drew McKissick were showered with boos that the former president couldn't even quell.

"No. No. No. No. Remember —" Trump said, laughing, as he attempted to quiet the crowd's disdain for Graham. "I love him. He's a good man," he added, telling Graham to come over to the microphone.

The crowd continued to boo as Graham approached the podium and began to speak. He briefly praised Trump for his victory, and the boos continued, albeit more quietly, as he went back to his spot on the stage.

A few minutes later, Trump recognized McKissick to another round of boos, which appeared to surprise Trump.

"We have a highly opinionated group of people," he said, laughing. "I'll tell you, they turned very positive on you very quickly, Lindsey," he added.

President Joe Biden speaks during the National Governors Association Winter Meeting in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (Leigh Vogel/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

President Joe Biden says former President Donald Trump poses a "threat" after being declared the victor of the South Carolina Republican primary Saturday evening.

“Every day, we are reminded of the threat Donald Trump poses to our future as Americans grapple with the damage he left behind," Biden wrote in a statement following the Republican primary," the president said in a statement.

Biden specifically took aim at Trump over the issue of abortion, saying the former president is “ripping away a fundamental constitutional right women had in this country for 50 years.”

"We are still rebuilding the economy after Trump lost millions of good-paying jobs and sold out working families to give himself and his wealthy friends handouts. And Trump is promising to once again use the presidency for his own revenge and retribution after January 6 stained our collective consciousness," Biden said. "In 2020, I ran for president because the very soul of America was at risk. Last night in South Carolina, Donald Trump stood on stage to make shameful, racist comments that tap into a hatred and divisiveness that is the very worst of us. We all have more to do to push towards a more perfect union, but Trump wants to take us backwards."

"Despite the threat that Trump poses, I will say again to the American people: I have never felt more optimistic about what we can do if we come together. Because I know that America believes in standing up for our democracy, fighting for our personal freedoms, and building an economy that gives everyone a fair shot. To Republicans, Democrats, and independents who share our commitment to core values of our nation, join us. Let’s keep moving forward," he added.

Fox News projected Saturday evening that former President Donald Trump will win the state's GOP primary.

A recent ranking of presidents by a group of self-styled experts determined that Abraham Lincoln is America's greatest president, while Donald Trump ranks last.

Lincoln topped the list of presidents in the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project expert survey for the third time, following his top spot in the rankings in the 2015 and 2018 versions of the survey.

According to a release from the Presidential Greatness Project, which touts itself as the "foremost organization of social science experts in presidential politics," the 154 respondents to the survey included "current and recent members of the Presidents & Executive Politics Section of the American Political Science Association…as well as scholars who have recently published peer-reviewed academic research in key related scholarly journals or academic presses."

The respondents were asked to rank presidents on a scale of 0-100, with 0 being a failure, 50 being average and 100 being great. Rounding out the top five in the rankings were Franklin Delano Roosevelt at number two, George Washington at three, Theodore Roosevelt at four, and Thomas Jefferson at five.

Trump was ranked in last place in the survey, being ranked worse than James Buchanan at 44, Andrew Johnson at 43, Franklin Pierce at 42, and William Henry Harrison at 41.

Fox News' Michael Lee contributed to this report.

Nikki Haley said at a Fox News town hall event recently that the Republican Party must connect with young voters in order to defeat President Biden in November.

During the town hall, University of South Carolina College Republicans Vice President Noah Lindler asked the former governor to address the "largely ignored" Gen Z and first-time voters. 

Haley responded by saying that it's a "mistake" for political parties not to speak to those voters.

The question from host John Roberts came after five members of the Republican National Committee’s youth advisory council resigned in December amid dissatisfaction with the GOP’s efforts to draw in young voters ahead of the 2024 election, claiming a "lack of vision" from the party.

"I, on the other hand, think you all [young voters] are going to be the generation that saves us. You know exactly what you're doing," Haley claimed. 

Fox News' Christopher Lopez contributed to this report.

POLITICS

NFL team owner appears on stage with Trump during South Carolina victory speech

NFL team owner and former ambassador Woody Johnson was on stage standing behind former President Donald Trump following Trump's victory in the South Carolina primary.

New York Jets owner and billionaire businessman Woody Johnson stood in support behind former President Trump in South Carolina on Saturday night after Trump was quickly projected the winner of the state’s primary.

Johnson, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom during the Trump administration, was on stage alongside his wife Suzanne behind Trump as the former president delivered a speech after his quick victory in the Palmetto State primary on Saturday.

Johnson, a member of the founding family of Johnson & Johnson, has previously expressed support for the former president during the 2024 campaign.

"Americans remember how good it was or how much better it was on the border, and inflation, and gas prices, and grocery prices, all that, during the Trump administration, and they want to get back there," Johnson told News’ Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo earlier this month. 

POLITICS

Trump 'really not thinking about' Haley after South Carolina victory, says he's focused on beating Biden

EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump said he is not sure Nikki Haley is “even really in the race" after winning yet another Republican primary Saturday night, telling Fox News Digital that, instead, he is focused on beating Joe Biden in the general election in November.

EXCLUSIVE: Former President Donald Trump said he is not sure Nikki Haley is "even really in the race" after winning yet another Republican primary Saturday night, telling Fox News Digital that he is focused on beating President Biden in the general election in November.

The Fox News Decision Desk declared Trump the winner of the South Carolina Republican Primary just moments after the polls closed Saturday night. Trump defeated former two-term South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in her home state, and came another step closer to clinching the 2024 GOP nomination.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital Saturday night, Trump touted the win.

"I was honored that I received the largest vote in the history of the state — I’m with Senator Lindsey Graham right now and he just told me we received the largest vote by double — we beat the last record," Trump told Fox News Digital. "So that’s a great compliment to all of the people and to making America great again."

When asked 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."

Former White House Press Secretary and Fox News contributor Ari Fleischer responded to former ambassador Nikki Haley's post-primary speech in South Carolina by saying it sounds like she is positioning herself for a third party run.

"I've been around a lot of these candidate speeches and I've written a few," Fleischer said on Fox News on Saturday night. "That was a No Labels speech tonight by Nikki Haley."

"That was a speech when she says 'no matter what I am running', when she trashes Joe Biden, she trashes Donald Trump, she is setting herself up to run down the middle."

Fleischer explained that Haley won with independent voters by 19% which could signal to her team that she has an opening as a third party candidate.

"That's only 7% of people who voted in the primary and that's why she got her clock cleaned in the primary by Donald Trump," Fleischer said. "But when you look at independent voters she sees a huge group out there."

Fox News Polling

Former President Donald Trump put together even stronger coalitions in South Carolina than in earlier primaries.

Among the Republican primary voters in South Carolina , he got solid support from MAGA followers, very conservative voters, rural residents, White evangelicals, and those without a college degree. These are all similar or greater percentages than in New Hampshire or Iowa.

Looking at some of the key groups: Military households break for Trump, even after he criticized Former Gov. Nikki Haley's National Guard husband for not being around.

He even “Trumped” Haley among female voters. Six-in-10 cast their vote for Trump, and in New Hampshire it was 55%. So, he’s a popular guy.

We also asked voters what they like about Trump, and most see him as a strong nominee. Large majorities say Trump can win in November, will keep the country safe, will fight for people like them and believe he has the mental capability to serve effectively as president.

For the record, Haley has lower support in each of those areas except for mental capacity, which 76% believe she has.

In addition, many voters give Trump a pass on some alleged legal transgressions. Many say he's done nothing wrong regarding January 6, the 2020 vote count, or classified documents at his home in Florida.

Fox News Polling

On a personal level, what do Republicans think about their own financial situation? As we saw in both the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary, voters say they’re in bad shape financially in South Carolina too.

Just about one-in-ten say they’re getting ahead, while about three times that say they are falling behind. This is almost identical to what we saw in the previous states.

FNVA is based  on interviews with a random sample of registered voters eligible to vote in the primary election or caucus, drawn from state voter files. These probability-based interviews are combined with self-identified registered voters selected from nonprobability online panels.

Interviews, conducted in both Spanish and English, begin approximately six days before the day of the primary election or caucus and are conducted until polls close.

Fox News projects that former President Donald Trump will win the state's GOP primary.

We also asked voters what better describes their vote - is it more for their candidate or against the other? That depends! Almost all of former President Trump’s voters say they are voting for him, and only 9% say it’s against Haley.

But it’s a different story among former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's voters, where almost six-in-10 say they are voting for her and about four-in-10 say they are motivated to cast their vote against Trump.

The Fox News Decision Desk projected Saturday after polls closed in South Carolina that Trump will win the state's GOP primary.

Trump has three times as many delegates as Haley; he will win up to 50 more tonight, the Fox News Decision Desk noted.

Haley could not convert her hometown advantage into a win. She told supporters this week that she was not dropping out of the race.

South Carolina is the last of the early states with a significant number of delegates at stake.

Fox News co-anchor Bill Hemmer is breaking down the numbers so far on the South Carolina GOP primary election, insisting that Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is doing 'slightly' better than she did in New Hampshire.

As voting results in the Palmetto State trickled in, Hemmer noted that Haley appeared to be doing better with voters in her home state than she did last month in New Hampshire.

"In New Hampshire, this is where it ended up," Hemmer said, pointing to a screen that showed Haley garnered 43.2% of the vote in New Hampshire. "Remember what she said? She said 'I need to better than what I did in New Hampshire.' We come down to real time tonight in South Carolina and, for the record, she's doing slightly better than 43% as of this moment with a lot of that vote still well out there."

Hemmer's remarks came as 16% of the state's voting results in the GOP primary had been reported.

The Fox News Decision Desk projected Saturday after polls closed in South Carolina that former President Donald Trump will win the state's GOP primary.

Asian American voters make up a small percentage of residents in South Carolina.  

United States Census Bureau states that 2.0% of Asians represent the South Carolina population as of July 1, 2023.  There is limited information on Asians voting in South Carolina elections.

According to AAPI Vote, in 2022 around 44% of registered Asian American voters reported that the Democratic Party had contacted them, 35% were contacted by the Republican Party and 39% were contacted by community organizations.

Just last year, Fox News reported that Asian American voters have been trending towards the right, with 18% voting Republican in 2016, 30% in 2020, and 32% voting for Republican congressional candidates during the 2022 midterms.

Xi Van Fleet told Fox News last year that “In the past, many Asians voted blue. I think it’s because they bought into the victim mindset pushed to them by the Democrats who told them that they are a minority and live in a racist country and that the Democrat would be their protectors. But more and more have come to the realization that they have been deceived and betrayed.”

She said Democrats’ narrative has changed towards the group. “Asian Americans now are told by the Democrats they are no longer a minority; they are now white adjacent. And also many Asian sees their treasured cherished American dream of meritocracy being attacked by the Democrats, not just for themselves, but for their children more.”

"The Right View Podcast" host Lara Trump says America has a "must win" election and calls to get behind former President Donald Trump on "Hannity."

Asked for reaction to Nikki Haley's comments on putting Ukraine ahead of American security.

"We want to protect our country first and foremost," Trump said. "Everybody knows that I think everyone understands that."

"She is poised right now, Sean, as you just mentioned to lose her home state of South Carolina in a very embarrassing way," she added.

"It's time for us to all garner our support behind the obvious republican nominee, Donald Trump. We have a must-win election on our hands right now against Joe Biden," she said. "Let's face it, Sean, if we wait and do nothing and allow Joe Biden another four years, and Democrats another four years to destroy this country, that's exactly what is going to happen."

She concluded, "We will not have a country left. Why Nikki Haley is still in this and why she says things that are so ridiculous and outrageous I wish I could tell you, but it makes absolutely no sense."

Fox News Polling

While most view former President Donald Trump positively as a person, many also see him as too extreme.

Over four-in-10 South Carolina Republicans are worried Trump’s too out there to win in November. And for Haley, fewer – one-third – are worried about her being too extreme.

FNVA is based on interviews with a random sample of registered voters eligible to vote in the primary election or caucus, drawn from state voter files. These probability-based interviews are combined with self-identified registered voters selected from nonprobability online panels.

Interviews, conducted in both Spanish and English, begin approximately six days before the day of the primary election or caucus and are conducted until polls close. 

Fox News Polling

Let’s look at some favorable ratings. How do voters feel about the candidates?

About seven-in-10 say they have a positive view of former President Donald Trump. Nearly as many, over six-in-10, feel that way about possible vice-presidential pick South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. It’s a semi-sweet homecoming for Haley, as just half of Republicans in her home state view her favorably. Still, that’s higher than Sen. Lindsey Graham’s four-in-10.

POLITICS

Trump says South Carolina is a 'bigger win than we anticipated,' looks forward to saying 'Joe, you're fired'

Former President Trump touted a “bigger win than we anticipated" in the South Carolina Republican Primary Saturday night, saying he looks forward to looking at President Biden in November and saying: “Joe, you’re fired."

Former President Trump touted a "bigger win than we anticipated" in the South Carolina Republican Primary Saturday night, saying he looks forward to looking at President Biden in November and saying: "Joe, you’re fired."

The primary was called for the former president and 2024 GOP frontrunner just moments after polls closed Saturday night.

"This is really something. This was a little sooner than we anticipated and an even bigger win than we anticipated," Trump said. "And I was just informed that we got double the number of votes that has ever been received in the great state of South Carolina."

Trump then began highlighting the "horror" of the "millions and millions of people coming across the border illegally."

"We don’t know where they come from, they come from jails and they come from prisons — they come from all sorts of places," Trump said. "We’re not going to stand for it — you have terrorists coming in."

Trump vowed to "straighten things out."

"The border is the worst it’s ever been," he said. "We’re going to fix it — fix it very quickly."He added: "Our country is going to be respected again. Respected like never before."

Trump went on to predict he'll win the general election in November.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s campaign has chosen Charleston Place, one of the city’s swankiest hotels, to host tonight’s watch party.

With polls closed, the campaign is expecting a few hundred supporters to begin trickling in.

Republican presidential candidate former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks to reporters after voting in the South Carolina Republican primary on February 24, 2024 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Haley campaign’s use of the ritzy hotel comes after Fox News Digital reported earlier this year that the campaign had spent thousands on luxury hotels last year despite her team's claim it runs "a tight ship" and stays in "affordable" lodging.

According to Haley's third-quarter disbursements filing with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), her campaign spent over $11,000 on high-end, four- and five-star hotels. That included stays at The Breakers, a luxurious hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, and the Wave Resort in Long Branch, New Jersey.

Despite a growing number of Republican calls for Haley to drop out of the race, the Haley campaign, and the candidate herself, have repeatedly said there are no plans to end her candidacy tonight.

After casting her vote in the state’s primary election, Haley told reporters Saturday that she plans to stay in the presidential race through at least Super Tuesday, which is slated to take place on March 5.

This week, Haley’s campaign announced a multi-million-dollar ad buy (both TV and internet) to show their intentions well beyond South Carolina.

“Our goal is one state at a time,” said Haley earlier today after voting.

On Friday, Betsy Ankney, Haley’s campaign manager, told reporters they are still dispatching resources in multiple states.

“We have rolled out leadership teams in most of the states through the end of March, including Georgia and Washington State. We have those in place in those states already,” she said. “I know some of them have made public and some of them have not. But we have infrastructure on the ground in those states through the end of March.”

The Fox News Decision Desk projected after polls closed in South Carolina that former President Donald Trump will win the state's GOP primary.

Fox News’ Mark Meredith and Brandon Gillespie contributed to this update.

Reuters

As voters head to the South Carolina primary to cast their votes, people may wonder how Black Americans have voted in the past.  

According to the United States Census Bureau, statistics from July 1, 2023, reveal that 26.3% of South Carolina’s population 5.3 million are Black or African American.  

Pew Research Center statistics show that 78% of Blacks in South Carolina, out of 112 surveyed, lean Democrat, 15% are categorized as “no-lean” and 7% lean Republican.  

In 2020, USA Today reported that African American voters made up 60% of South Carolina’s Democratic electorate. During the general election in 2020, 92% Black voters supported Biden and just 7% backed Trump, according to Fox News Voter Analysis.  

Despite South Carolina being seen as a red state, Black South Carolina residents have typically voted for the Democratic Party. Ahead of the Democratic primary in South Carolina, state Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain told Fox News Digital that she believes Black voters in the southern state still stand with President Biden.  

“Once we share the information about how President Biden and Democrats have been delivering on things like HBCUs in South Carolina--their investment is huge here. We feel the impact of that investment.”  

Biden won 96% of the vote in the Feb. 10 Democratic primary. 

Fox News Polling

Immigration is a top issue for Republicans across the country – and that continues to be true in South Carolina, with over four-in-10 saying immigration is the most important issue facing the country.

So, do South Carolina Republican primary voters say immigrants do more to help or hurt the country? Well, three-quarters say they do more to hurt.

That’s similar to what we saw in both Iowa and New Hampshire. Three-quarters of Iowa Republican caucus goers said immigrants do more to hurt the country, while slightly fewer said the same in New Hampshire.

And when it comes to the U.S.-Mexico border wall, Republicans in South Carolina strongly support it – just as they did in Iowa and New Hampshire.

A resident walks out of their voting precinct after voting on the morning of the South Carolina Republican primary at New Bridge Academy in Cayce, S.C., Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Tonight, there are 50 delegates on the line for the Republican candidates in South Carolina.

The winner of the statewide vote will take all of the 29 at-large delegates on offer. There are also 3 delegates for the winner of the same vote in each of the state's 7 congressional districts, up to a total of 21.

That means, for example, that a candidate who does very well in one area could walk away with a few delegates, even if they lose the overall vote.” 

Fox News political analyst Gianno Caldwell examined Nikki Haley’s strategy in the GOP’s race for the White House during an appearance with Arthel Neville on "Fox News Live."

When asked whether South Carolina residents are buying what Haley is selling, he responded, "no, they're not." 

"What is Nikki Haley doing," he asked. "What is the reason for staying in the race?"

Caldwell offers political, financial and cultural analysis across Fox News programming. He joined the network in 2017.

"We're not seeing the resonates where she really wanted to be which was with Democrat and Independent voters to cross over and vote for her," Caldwell told Neville.

"It is the end of the rope for Nikki Haley in my humble opinion," he added.

And when asked whether he believes Haley is still maintaining herself in the race pending active court cases against Trump, Caldwell was firm in his response.

"The fact of the matter is, a lot of these court cases aren't going to play out until closer to the general election or even after, so with that consideration in mind, we're in a Republican nomination process," he said. "Donald Trump, and you know, I'm going out on a very long limb here, he will be the Republican nominee absent anything happening to him health-wise." 

Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed in an interview in February that he would prefer the "more predictable" Joe Biden winning the upcoming U.S. presidential election compared to Donald Trump. 

Putin made the remark after being asked by an interviewer about who between Biden and the Republican frontrunner for the nomination would be a better choice from Russia’s point of view. 

"Biden, he’s more experienced, more predictable, he’s a politician of the old formation," Putin responded. "But we will work with any U.S. leader whom the American people trust." 

Trump, at a rally in South Carolina, called Putin’s words a "great compliment." 

"President Putin of Russia has just given me a great compliment, actually. He's just said that he would much rather have Joe Biden as president than Trump," Trump told the crowd in North Charleston. "Now, that's a compliment. A lot of people said, ‘oh, gee, that's too bad.’ No, no, that's a good thing." 

Putin also commented on Biden’s mental state following the release of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report last week calling him a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."

Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this report.

President Woodrow Wilson (via Getty Images)

South Carolina, being one of the original 13 colonies, has voted in every presidential election in U.S. history except 1864. From 1792 to 1860 South Carolina did not conduct a popular vote, instead allotting delegates, which makes determining who the most popular president to South Carolinians difficult.

One could argue it was Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America, given that South Carolina was first to secede. 

Based on the numbers, the most popular President in South Carolinian history was Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt who, in his second term, captured 98.5% of the vote. The second most popular president was Democrat Woodrow Wilson, winning 96% of the vote in 1916.

Among other popular Republican candidates in South Carolina, Richard Nixon won the state with 70% of the vote in 1972 and Ulysses S. Grant won it with 75% in 1872.

Republican presidential candidate former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event on February 23, 2024 in Mt Pleasant, South Carolina. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley took aim at former President Donald Trump in a recent campaign ad, saying that "chaos" surrounds her GOP competitor.

The ad, titled “More Chaos,” attempted to hit Trump on issues surrounding taxes, debt and overseas conflict.

"The chaos that surrounds him is bad enough, but what is Trump saying he'll actually do in office?" the ad's narrator said. "A 10% across the board tax increase. More record breaking debt. A Russian victory that will bring more war. With a world on fire, and a crisis at home, with Trump it is just more chaos. Nikki Haley, a better choice for a better America."

Haley frequently uses the term "chaos" when discussing the former president, recently writing when Trump was in court that “all of this chaos will only lead to more losses for Republicans up and down the ticket."

The ad was released just days before the South Carolina primary on Saturday.

Ida Mae Astute/American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley will go head-to-head at the South Carolina primary on Feb. 24, a state that Republicans have won in all but one presidential election since 1960.

In the early 1900s, the Palmetto State consistently voted for the Democrat nominee each presidential election.

Shortly after the ‘60s, the state saw a significant shift red that would remain for the next half a century. South Carolina has had a strong history of voting red in presidential elections since, with the last Democrat to win the state being former President Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Carter, a Democrat, won the state by over 10 percentage points against Republican candidate Gerald Ford.

South Carolina voted for Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential races, and the former president is again the frontrunner of the Republican primary race for a third consecutive election cycle.

The survey questionnaire and results will be posted on foxnews.1eye.us after 7:00PM/ET

It’s primary night in South Carolina and our Fox News Voter Analysis has been asking likely Republican primary voters in the state – over 2300 of them – who they are supporting and why. 

Conducted along with our partners the Associated Press and NORC at the University of Chicago, Fox News will be using this innovative election survey approach throughout the 2024 primary season.

In South Carolina, we’ll be looking at questions such as what traits GOP primary voters think each candidate has, such as their electability, or ability to keep the country safe.  Are they voting more for their candidate or against the other? 

We’ll also be diving into the most important issues facing the country. Is it the economy? Abortion? Immigration? And will Republicans come together and support their nominee in November, or are we looking at a chance that the party will split? 

All that and more is on deck. The survey questionnaire and results will be posted on foxnews.1eye.us after 7:00PM/ET. And keep checking back here for more news and analysis of the results.

Former President Donald Trump's final rally ahead of Saturday's South Carolina Republican primary drew thousands of supporters anxious to hear him speak.

Nearly 6,000 people gathered at Winthrop Coliseum on the campus of Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina on Friday afternoon, in a massive display of support for Trump, who is likely headed to a general election rematch against President Biden.

In addition to Biden, Trump used dedicated a portion of his speech to rail against his Republican opponent, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has vowed to continue her campaign regardless of the result in her home state primary.

Getty Images

Ronald Reagan's daughter, Patti Davis, weighed in on the age issue at the forefront of the 2024 election on Sunday and said presidential candidates probably should face cognitive tests while running for office. 

Before President Biden was elected, Reagan was the oldest person to be elected president, at the age of 69. 

"Now, obviously, the president is in his 80s, former President Trump, the frontrunner, is in his late 70s. Do you think there should be cognitive tests for people running for the highest office in the land?" NBC Host Kristen Welker asked. 

"Probably, yeah. And just what we know about what age can do, it doesn’t always do that, but it would probably be a good idea. Yeah I know, my father was 77 when he left office after two terms, and it seems so young now, doesn’t it?" Davis responded. 

Asked if it felt like he was old at the time, Davis said he was not someone who was fractured in age.  

Fox News' Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.

Former NBC Sports broadcaster Bob Costas unloaded on former President Trump during a recent TV appearance, calling him the "most disgraceful figure in modern presidential history."

The journalist appeared on CNN’s "Smerconish" on Saturday morning, where he laid into Trump and his supporters, which he also called a "toxic cult."

Additionally, he handed President Biden a stiff rebuke for running for office again, claiming that Biden is risking plunging the country into "insanity" under Trump by not stepping aside and letting someone stronger run against the 45th president.

Host Michael Smerconish brought Costas on to revisit comments he made on HBO’s "Real Time With Bill Maher" earlier this month, when he claimed that Biden’s "hubris" is making him run for re-election even though it’s not in the best interests of his party or the country.

The Emmy-award winning sports reporter was first invited to weigh in on why Trump needs to be stopped at all costs. Costas responded with a forceful condemnation of the former president and his supporters.

Pulling no punches, he said, "He is by far the most disgraceful figure in modern presidential history. He’s only become more disgraceful since 2016 and since 2020. He is a bubbling cauldron of loathsome traits."

Costas then added that only a cult would believe that Trump is fit for office.

"You have to be in the throes of some sort of toxic delusion and in a toxic cult to believe that Donald Trump has ever been, in any sense, emotionally, psychologically, intellectually, or ethically fit to be President of the United States," he said, adding, "But his supporters are locked in on that."

Costas then turned his ire on Biden, slamming him for running in a second election against Trump.

"He had a chance to be seen as a statesman and a patriot. Now his legacy is likely to be that of a man whose hubris prevented him from seizing the moment in an appropriate way, and at best, he can squeak by Trump – that’s at best."

Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this update.

Charleston, South Carolina, is a popular city in the southern state, filled with history and scenic sites. In 2020, the city had 150,227 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

From previous years, despite the southern state as a whole leaning red, Charleston County has voted Democrat in past elections. In 2008, residents voted for Barack Obama at 53.5% and John McCain at 45.2%. In 2012, Obama won again at 50.4% while Mitt Romney had 48.0%, according to the U.S. Elections Atlas.

In 2016, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gained 50.6% of the vote while Donald Trump had only 42.8% and in 2020, Joe Biden won 55.5% while Trump had 42.6%, according to Associated Press.

Charleston elected its first Republican mayor since the 1870s, the Associated Press reported in November 2023.

Republican William Cogswell won the race and defeated incumbent Democratic Mayor John Tecklenburg by about 2 percentage points in a runoff, according to the South Carolina Election Commission.

Republican South Carolina state Rep. Brandon Guffey said he believes that his state backs former President Donald Trump because Trump is treated “unfairly.”

“I think honestly it’s due to all the attacks,” Guffey told Fox News correspondent Griff Jenkins. “People see that he’s being unfairly attacked, whenever you’re trying to take him off the ballot.”

“I tell people I wasn’t initially a Trump support. I became a Trump defender because of the unfair attacks, and I think that’s the majority of the way citizens see it,” Guffey added. “When it comes to South Carolina, while Nikki [Haley] was a good governor, I just don’t feel that people feel she is the same person she was when she was governor.”

Haley has tried to make the case for her appeal as a candidate that can attract independents and even some Democrats who might not find President Biden an attractive option – often citing polls that indicate a majority of voters do not want to see a rematch between Trump and Biden.

To that end, Jenkins addressed California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s endorsement of Haley, in which he said he hopes she “stays in” the race no matter the result.

Democrat South Carolina state Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine told Jenkins that she did not think Democrat support for Haley would not prove a “useful” strategy, and she worried that Haley might attract some voters who merely would support her against Trump but not against Biden.

“It tells me there is a segment of folks who believe Nikki Haley on the ballot in November is better than having Donald Trump,” Devine said. “Honestly, as a Democrat, I don’t think either one matters. I think President Biden is really going to do well in November, and we are looking forward to November.”

“While they’re fighting out in their primary, we are moving forward to November to make sure President Biden gets re-elected,” she added.

Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The South Carolina Republican Primary, the ‘First in the South,' has traditionally been the contest that narrows the field from low-performing candidates to those with a legitimate chance at the nomination. 

Historically, the party coalesces around a select few candidates after South Carolina and before the all-important Super Tuesday.

In fact, since 1980, the only time the winner of South Carolina didn’t end up being the Republican nominee was in 2012 when the former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won the nomination against former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who had won the state with 40.42% over Romney's 27.85%.

In 2016, after a devastating loss in the state, Jeb Bush suspended his campaign. In 2020, President Joe Biden’s victory in the state propelled his struggling campaign beyond that of his Democratic rivals.

Despite the precedent of South Carolina choosing the nominee, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has declared that she intends to see the election through Super Tuesday regardless of the results of her home state primary.

Fox News contributor Guy Benson discussed Nikki Haley and former President Trump ahead of the South Carolina primaries on "The Bottom Line."

Benson said "it would be a monumental task, an epic upset" if Haley won the South Carolina primaries today.

"If the home state camaraderie doesn't really matter to Republican voters, there doesn't seem to be a path there," he added about Haley.

If Haley does lose the Palmetto State by a large margin, Benson believes there is a chance Haley and team could look to upcoming state open primaries to win. He believes Haley's team could see them as beneficial if she is to lose on her home turf.

Guy Benson currently serves as a FOX News Channel contributor and host of FOX News Radio's "The Guy Benson Show." He joined the network as a contributor in 2013.

Supporters of former President Donald Trump attending his final rally ahead of Saturday's South Carolina Republican presidential primary shared who they'd like to see as his vice presidential running mate in the November general election.

Fox News Digital spoke with just a few of the nearly 6,000 supporters who showed up to Winthrop University's campus in Rock Hill, South Carolina on Friday, waiting for hours in line to see and hear the former president bash President Biden, as well as his Republican rival Nikki Haley, a name not uttered once by those listing a number of others they said would make a good second-in-command.

"I like Kari Lake a lot. I think she'd be great," one supporter told Fox, referencing the conservative firebrand and likely Republican nominee in the race to flip Arizona's Senate seat. 

A number of others suggested Lake, as well as former presidential candidate and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, both of whom are strong backers of Trump's bid to retake the White House.

"I think Vivek … I like what he's said," one supporter told Fox, citing Ramaswamy's "refusal" to bash Trump in the earlier days of the primaries, unlike the other candidates previously vying for the nomination. "He's also a minority, so it's not like it's just another White person who supports him, so I think that's a big thing."

Some suggested Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, neurosurgeon and former Trump official Ben Carson and Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., but one name stood out more than all the others: South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.

"The Big Weekend Show" panelists discussed President Biden's 2024 campaign in early February, addressing concerns that he risks alienating minority voters.

"Why is Biden running? That's really the question that we all want to know," Tomi Lahren said kicking off the show.

"I wonder though, South Carolina, he's banking on the Black voters coming out for him, supporting him, maybe not in this so much but in a general election," Lahren added. "We have a clip. MSNBC is kind of startled to discover that maybe those Black voters might be moving away from Joe."

"It will be interesting to break down the Black vote into different subsets as well because overwhelmingly they will continue to vote Democrat," Mollie Hemingway, Editor in Chief of The Federalist said in response to Lahren.

"That is something that Black voters have done for many decades," Hemmingway added. "But you actually need a complete 100% vote if you're the Democrat party and you're getting word from a lot of people that they might not be voting for him."

Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Young voters are becoming an increasingly important demographic in U.S. elections, but the vast majority have been slow to participate in presidential elections.  

Voters aged 18-29 in South Carolina during the 2020 general election supported Biden over Trump 53 to 43. Only 9% of young voters in the state voted in the election, according to the Fox News Voter Analysis. 

In South Carolina, 14% of men who voted were age 18-44 and 17% of women who voted were age 18-44. The men in that age range voted 51% for Donald Trump and the women voted 53% for Biden and 45% for Trump. 

Back in August, Fox News’ Lawrence Jones spoke with young voters in South Carolina about which candidate they were hoping to see win and what their number 1 issue was. 

Most of the young voters Jones spoke to were in their twenties. All of them listed their top issues as including spending taxpayer dollars on foreign aid to countries such as Ukraine, the economy, abortion, the war on masculinity and immigration.  

Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene accused Nikki Haley of setting "money on fire" with plans to spend seven figures on ad buys for Super Tuesday as she aims to take the race for the GOP presidential nomination beyond Saturday's South Carolina primary.

Speaking with Fox News Digital at President Trump's final rally before primary day, Greene said Haley's plans were akin to a "shopping spree," and called on her to drop out of the race.

"Oh that's like a shopping spree. She likes to set money on fire," Greene said. "Nikki Haley is going to lose big here in South Carolina."

"You could say she has political aspirations. I think we could say she has political delusions," Greene added. "She is the Democrat candidate in the Republican primary. Shame on her. She needs to drop out."

Greene also expressed her support for Lara Trump to be the next co-chair of the Republican National Committee once Ronna McDaniel steps down from the role in what is expected to be the near future.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson

What is a caucus?

Caucuses are the most hyped presidential contests in the country but also among the most confusing. They essentially function like traditional party primaries because residents cast ballots, and the candidate with the most ballots wins. 

However, residents simply don’t walk into a polling site to cast their ballot, then exit.

Caucus night is more time-consuming because it includes discussing candidates, picking convention delegates and dealing with state party business. And the parties, which run the caucuses, have uniquely different processes amid some similarities.

The caucuses have been the first-in-the-nation balloting since the 1970s. In January, primary election season kicked off with the Iowa caucuses.

What is a presidential primary?

Ahead of a presidential election, there is a selection process across states to determine which Republican, Democratic and Independent candidates will appear on the ballots. Presidential primary elections are a way American voters help political parties choose who they should select to represent them.

Some states hold closed primary elections, meaning voters must vote for the political party they are registered for. In an open primary, voters can select the candidate they prefer to cast a ballot for, whether registered for that particular political party or not.

Unlike Iowa, where the caucuses took place in January, New Hampshire and South Carolina operate on a traditional primary system. This means, like most of the nation, residents of the Palmetto State will show up at polling locations throughout the day and privately vote for who they wish.

The primaries in South Carolina are open, meaning that unaffiliated voters may vote in either the Republican or Democrat primary. 

Polling times vary by municipality but must open by 11:00 a.m. and cannot close before 7:00 p.m. Early voting in South Carolina concluded on Thursday. Absentee ballots must be turned in by 7:00 p.m. on election day.

Results are expected to be in around 10:00 p.m. EST. When all the primaries are concluded a convention will be held where delegates nominate the winner.

Traditionally this is a routine formality but “brokered conventions”, one where no candidate receives a majority, are possible. During a brokered convention, delegates politik and vote for their preferred candidate largely irrespective of state primary results.

The last brokered GOP convention was in 1976 where neither Ronald Reagan nor Gerald Ford received a majority. While unprecedented, if a leading candidate was died or was otherwise indisposed, such as being imprisoned, it could possibly trigger a brokered convention regardless of whether they met the delegate threshold. 

Fox News' Gabriele Regalbuto contributed to this report.

Erin Kirkland/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Super Tuesday is a day during the U.S. presidential primary election season when several states, typically from various regions across the country, hold their primary elections or caucuses in early March. 

New Hampshire and Iowa were the first states to hold contests in the 2024 presidential election cycle in January.

Super Tuesday is considered a critical day in the primary process, as the outcomes of millions of voters can significantly influence the overall nomination for presidential candidates. This year’s Super Tuesday will be held on March 5 with polls closing around 7 or 8 p.m. Results will not be immediately announced for many states. 

On 2024's Super Tuesday, states participating in casting ballots include California, Colorado, Alabama, Arkansas, Alaska, Maine, Minnesota, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.

GOP candidate Nikki Hailey’s campaign manager, Betsy Ankney, wrote in a memo early Tuesday that “despite the media narrative, there is significant fertile ground for Nikki.” 

“After Super Tuesday, we will have a very good picture of where this race stands. At that point, millions of Americans in 26 states and territories will have voted,” the memo read.

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has picked up several significant endorsements from key Republican senators. A growing number of GOP lawmakers urge Hailey to withdraw, advocating for party unity behind Trump before Super Tuesday.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham have endorsed Trump, snubbing Hailey, despite her being a former governor of the state from 2011-2017.

Fox News' Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.

Former President Donald Trump claims that his wife Melania is expected to make more regular public appearances on the campaign trail.

Trump made the remarks during his interview at a Fox News townhall earlier this week with host Laura Ingraham. 

"It’s funny, she was a very successful model, very, very successful, and yet she was a private person. She’s going to be out a lot. Not because she likes doing it, but she likes the results," he said Tuesday. "She wants to see this country really succeed. She loves the country."

"You know, a lot of first ladies would go out — they want to be everywhere. They get angry at their husband because he’s not introducing them," Trump continued. "If I didn’t introduce Melania, she’d be very happy about it. She’s just a different kind of a person."

Melania has been largely absent from her husband's 2024 presidential bid thus far, making few public appearances and staying out of the media.

Her absence, until recently, has been explained by the passing of her mother, Amalija Knavs, earlier this year. But as the campaign season becomes more intense, political commentators have questioned whether she will step back into efforts supporting Trump.

Trump also expressed appreciation that Melania has been dedicated to raising their son, Barron Trump.

"Her life revolves around that boy. It’s so important to her," Trump said. "At the same time, it also revolves around our country and the success of our country. She’s raised a lot of money for charity. She’s a private person."

"And she loves the country," Trump added. "She’s going to be out a lot, but she does it for the good of the country, not for her. She’s somebody with a lot of confidence. She doesn’t need that."

Fox News Digital's Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this update.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called her 2024 rival former President Donald Trump's comments to a Black conservative group "disgusting" on Saturday.

On Friday, Trump claimed that his four criminal indictments have boosted his support among Black voters because they see him as a victim of discrimination. “I got indicted for nothing, for something that is nothing,” Trump said at a black-tie event in South Carolina. And a lot of people said that’s why the Black people like me, because they have been hurt so badly and discriminated against, and they actually viewed me as I’m being discriminated against. It’s been pretty amazing but possibly, maybe, there’s something there.”

The former president also said "the Black population" embraced his mugshot more than anyone else and made a joke about how the lights were so bright he could only see Black people in the room. 

“The lights are so bright in my eyes I can’t see too many people out there. But I can only see the Black ones. I can’t see any white ones. That’s how far I’ve come,” Trump told the crowd, provoking laughter. 

But Haley didn't think his comments were funny.

"It's disgusting, but that's what happens when he goes off the teleprompter," she told reporters after casting her ballot in Kiawah Island. "That's the chaos that comes with Donald Trump. That's the offensiveness that's going to happen every day between now and the general election, which is why I continue to say Donald Trump cannot win a general election. He won't.

"We can make him the primary nominee if we want to, but we Republicans will lose come November." 

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

So far, President Donald Trump has secured a win in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada during the first contests of the 2024 presidential nomination calendar.

"We want to thank the great people of Iowa," he said in a caucus victory speech in Des Moines, Iowa.

Here are just a few of the politicians who have endorsed Trump as the GOP 2024 presidential nominee.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson, R-N.C., House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, Sen. Deb Fischer and John Cornyn have all endorsed Trump since he announced his 2024 presidential campaign.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley told reporters she is not leaving the GOP primary so long as a majority of Americans say they don't want President Biden or former President Trump.

"Look, my whole goal for running is because you have a majority of Americans who are saying they don't want Donald Trump and they don't want Joe Biden. So as long as you have a majority of Americans saying, 'please give us a choice,' I'm going to continue to fight," Haley said shortly after she cast her primary ballot on Kiawah Island. 

The underdog GOP candidate said said America is not like Russia and Americans don't "anoint kings." 

"Here in America, we have elections and people's voices are heard. And how blessed we are that we get to do that," she continued. "And so we want these states to be able to vote. And it's between now and ten days from now, another 21 states and territories will be voting. And I think it's a great thing." 

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Nikki Haley’s husband, William Michael Haley, has recently made headlines due to a 2012 book written by the former South Carolina governor that’s made its way back into the public eye.

A Vox senior politics correspondent posted an excerpt from Haley’s book, “Can’t Is Not an Option,” which mentions how “Bill” became Michael Haley, South Carolina First Gentleman.

“Nikki Haley renamed her husband,” the tweet stated along with the excerpt.

The piece gives background context of how Haley’s husband’s name was changed.

Haley said that after they had been dating, she looked at him one time and asked what his name was. “’You know it’s Bill,’ he said puzzled.”

“You just don’t look like a Bill. What’s your whole name?” She asked. “William Michael,” he told her.

The couple met at Clemson University, got married in 1996, and they have two children, Rena and Nalin Haley. Michael is a combat veteran and he became First Gentleman of South Carolina in 2011, according to Haley’s campaign website.

Haley, who serves in the South Carolina Army National Guard, began his year-long deployment to Africa in June. He serves as a staff officer with the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.

Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser and Joe Schoffstall contributed to this report.

Donald Trump and Nikki Haley. (Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump has launched several advertisements against his GOP competitor, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, one of the most recent being a play on the Super Bowl. 

The ad, released the same day as Super Bowl 58, showed a spoof football game in “America First Stadium” and a red flag being thrown after a clip played of Haley saying she "never" said that she wanted to raise the Social Security age.

The video then showed a referee reviewing Haley's claim by watching different past clips of Haley talking about Social Security and saying 65 is "way too low."

He then steps to the middle of the field to announce that he believes Haley wants to "raise the age of Social Security."

Trump was then seen throwing a football next to another clip of him walking on a field with his wife and former First Lady Melania Trump.

The two dueling candidates have been ramping up attacks on one another in the weeks leading up to the highly anticipated South Carolina primary on Feb. 24.

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 24: A woman votes during the South Carolina Republican presidential primary at Ben Arnold Center Park on February 24, 2024 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

When voters cast their ballots, they aren't just supporting a candidate — they have issues in mind they care about deeply.

In November of last year, some Black voters in South Carolina relayed that the Democratic Party has “failed them,” according to many political strategists. Politico reported that Black business owners were frustrated over the Democratic Party’s focus on racial issues.

“We’re treating them like their only issue is racial issues, and not all of us, but to some extent some of us have moved past that,” Marcurius Bryd, a Democratic strategist, told the outlet.

Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, South Carolina residents told Fox News which issues they were most concerned about. Energy independence, voter ID laws, border security, inflation, culture, gas prices and retirement were top of mind in that election.

South Carolinians viewed economic matters as the most concerning issues in 2020, according to a Fox News Voter Analysis. Most said they were concerned with the economy and jobs at 34%, tied with the coronavirus pandemic.

Other concerns included health care, racism, law enforcement, abortion, immigration, climate change and last, foreign policy.

Republican South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace ripped Nikki Haley's aim to continue her campaign for the GOP presidential nomination beyond Saturday's primary in her home state, as well as plans for her to spend seven figures on ad buys for Super Tuesday.

"No matter how much Nikki Haley spends, she's still not going to become the Republican nominee for president. This needs to end tomorrow night," Mace told Fox News Digital ahead of former President Trump's final rally on Friday in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

"Starting Sunday morning, we have to stop taking shots at Donald Trump and start looking to win back the White House because this is the most consequential election of our lifetime. Donald Trump is going to win South Carolina, he's going to become the nominee, and it's time that we rally around him tomorrow night," she added.

Mace also gave her thoughts about the future of the Republican National Committee (RNC) after Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel steps down in what is expected to be the near future.

Trump has endorsed his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to be the RNC's next co-chair, something Mace expressed strong backing for.

"I support Lara Trump. I've been on the campaign trail with her this week. She is inspirational, and I believe she could do a lot of good for our party if she's in that position," she said.

ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 23: South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster arrives on stage to introduce Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump at a Get Out The Vote rally at Winthrop University on February 23, 2024 in Rock Hill, South Carolina. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Henry McMaster serves as South Carolina’s 117th governor. He succeeded former South Carolina governor and 2024 GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley in 2017. 

He has a wife, Peggy, two children and two grandchildren.  

McMaster is a “longtime public servant” of the southern state, according to his campaign website. He was born in the state’s capital, Columbia, and went to the University of South Carolina in 1969 receiving a bachelor’s degree in history. 

He later graduated from his college’s school of law and then served in the U.S. Army Reserves before receiving an honorable discharge in 1975, his biography states.

He became legislative assistant for the late Sen. Strom Thurmond in D.C. and then joined the law firm of Tompkins and McMaster in 1974. He practiced law for more than 40 years.  

McMaster was the first U.S. attorney appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. He chaired the state Republican Party from 1993 to 2002 and then was elected attorney general of the state in 2002 and re-elected 2006.  

Nikki Haley’s team has given its strongest indication yet that the former ambassador plans to stay in the race for the Republican nomination through Super Tuesday by announcing a seven-figure ad-buy in various states. 

"We know that the math is challenging, but this has never just been about who can win a Republican primary," Haley’s campaign manager Betsy Ankney said Friday on a call with reporters, according to NPR. "This battle is about who can win in November, defeat the Democrats and finally get our country back on track."

Former President Donald Trump continues to lead as voters head to the polls in Haley’s home state of South Carolina, with Haley trying to prove her viability with a competitive finish. Polling ahead of the primary indicated Trump has commanding double-digit lead. 

Haley made clear in the days ahead of the primary that she planned to stay in no matter the outcome of Saturday’s primary, saying she would "refuse to quit" and that "on Sunday, I’ll still be running for president. I’m not going anywhere."

In a separate interview this week with NPR, Haley once again raised her concerns about Trump as president, arguing that Trump brought "chaos" and "division." She made clear that she has "even more concerns about Joe Biden being president." 

Her fight has brought her significant financial backing, with her campaign managing to pull around 5,200 donors who had backed President Biden in the 2020 election, including over 1,600 donors who gave more than $500,000 to Biden, according to Politico.

Haley’s campaign highlighted the "large dollar" donations of $200 or more from over 55,000 individuals in January alone as proof of her backing. She also siphoned more than 10,000 donors who had supported Trump in 2020. 

Fox News Digital's Peter Aitken contributed to this update.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (left) and former President Donald Trump. (Justin Sullivan/Win McNamee | Getty Images)

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley says there is zero chance of her becoming the vice presidential nominee alongside former President Donald Trump.

Speaking with Fox News's Bret Baier in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, during the final days of her campaigning in the state.

"We’re gonna see what happens tomorrow," Haley told Baier. "But look, the problem when people say, ‘Why is she doing this? Why is she doing that?’ At first, they were like, ‘She’s doing this because she wants to be vice president.' I think ’we’ve pretty much settled that. I’ve said it for months, it’s done." 

"I wouldn’t be doing this if I was worried about a political future," she added. "I would’ve gotten out already. I’m doing this trying to wake up our country."

Trump previously acknowledged during a Fox News townhall that Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, Kristi Noem, Bryon Donalds and Tulsi Gabbard are on his running mate shortlist. 

Trump has many times reiterated that he has ruled out Haley as his running mate, despite some Republicans who had hoped for a combined ticket.

Asked on Friday if she would be willing to drop out of the Republican primary in order to team up with Democratic candidate Rep. Dean Phillips on a unity ticket, Haley said no.

"I’m running as a Republican. I’m running trying to wake people up that, if they nominate Donald Trump in this primary, we will lose a general election," Haley said.

Fox News Digital's Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this update.

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said one thing is on the mind of Palmetto State voters on Primary Day — who is able to defeat President Biden? 

"Who can beat Biden? Who can turn around America?" Graham asked on "Fox & Friends" Saturday morning, speaking from a diner in Columbia. 

"Everybody in here has a couple of things in common: They love our country. They think we're going in the wrong direction," Graham said, gesturing to the other patrons enjoying their breakfast.

Graham said the winner of the South Carolina Republican primary is going to be GOP nominee and said he is voting for former President Donald Trump over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

"I like Nikki, I've known Nikki a long time. I'm voting for Trump, not against her," he said.

Asked why he is supporting Trump instead of Haley, Graham said the former president "is the right guy at the right time." 

"I had a front row seat for four years and I saw what he was able to do," he continued. "Everybody says, 'I like Trump policies. I want somebody new.' There are no Trump policies without Donald Trump. That's just a fact, right?" 

"I think Nikki is thinking somehow it won't work out for Trump," he added later. "I want her to make her own decision. But I hope when she does get out, and she will have to because she's going to lose our home state — and that's not a slam on her. Nobody could beat Trump in South Carolina. Jesus could beat Trump. But other than that, nobody." 

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump told supporters in the final days ahead of the New Hampshire primary that he likely will not choose 2024 Republican nomination rival Nikki Haley as his running mate. 

"She is not presidential timber," Trump said of Haley as he spoke at a Friday night rally in New Hampshire's capital city. "Now, when I say that, that probably means that she’s not going to be chosen as the vice president."

Some potential Vice President picks are former primary candidate and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, New York House Rep Elise Stefanik, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, South Carolina House Rep Nancy Mace, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. 

Scott, who remains popular with primary voters, is an enticing choice but Stefanik is said to have recently impressed Trump with her grilling of Ivy League presidents over antisemitism on campus. 

With an abundance of options, few in Trump’s political orbit have a good feel for whom Trump is leaning toward as his running mate. Veteran Republican strategist Ryan Williams noted that "Trump prizes loyalty and fealty above everything else when it comes to his supporters."

MT PLEASANT, SOUTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 23: Republican presidential candidate former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event on February 23, 2024 in Mt Pleasant, South Carolina. South Carolina holds its Republican primary on February 24. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Scott Bessent, the CEO of Key Square Capital Management, a New York-based investment firm, is calling on former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to drop out of the Republican primary.

In an op-ed for Fox News Digital, Bessent said Haley is likely to lose the South Carolina primary, and that a big loss in her home state could harm her political future. 

"It is a powerful signal when a politician's home state does not back him or her in a national contest," Bessent wrote. "This is the situation in which Haley will likely find herself on the evening of February 24. That she will lose the South Carolina Republican Primary in excess of 20% (more among registered Republicans) is a powerful message from the people of South Carolina: we know you better than any other voters and now is not your time. 

"As a native small-town South Carolinian who, like Haley, returned home after a successful run in Manhattan, I am calling on her to follow Republican Senator Tim Scott's lead. She should abandon her campaign on the evening of February 24, when it becomes clear that she has been handily defeated in her home state. Scott, South Carolina’s most popular statewide politician, has become a powerful voice in the Republican effort to replace President Joe Biden."  

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump traveled last weekend to Pennsylvania, where he was greeted at Sneaker Con with mixed and emotional reactions from those in attendance.

Trump's surprise appearance at the event — known as "The Greatest Sneaker Show On Earth," according to the organizer's website — came shortly before the former president traveled to Michigan for a campaign rally.

Taking the stage at the event in Philadelphia, Trump appeared before a crowd of emotional attendees, some of whom cheered on the president as others booed him during his speech.

Trump spoke for roughly 10 minutes, appearing alongside a pair of gold, custom Trump-branded sneakers that are now being sold in limited supply for $399 a pair.

"They love it, and they love what we've done," Trump said of influencers as he flashed the shoes to those in the audience. "That's the real deal."

"A lot of emotion. There's a lot of emotion in this room," Trump said shortly after taking the podium. "They have lines going all around the block. They've never seen anything like this one."

Nikki Haley asserted two days ahead of the South Carolina Republican primary that former President Trump "will not win the general election." 

"What I’m trying to tell all Republicans and anybody – Independents as well – anybody that’s voting in those primaries is if you want a change in the country, which I think the entire country wants a change, is we won’t get a change if we don’t win an election," the former South Carolina governor told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Thursday. 

She proclaimed, "Donald Trump will not win the general election. You can have him win any primary you want, he will not win a general election. We will have a female President of the United States: It will either be me or it will be Kamala Harris. But if Donald Trump is the nominee, you can mark my words, he will not win a general election."

Some general election polls have shown Haley could fare better against President Biden than Trump, but the former president has a decisive lead heading into the Palmetto State’s Saturday primary. 

Haley further warned, "Don’t complain about what happens in a general election if you don’t vote that in this primary."

"We can do better," she added, noting that Trump and Biden are the "two most disliked politicians in America." 

She added that a majority of Americans have said they feel both men are "too old" to hold the office again. 

"We need someone who can work eight years straight of hard work, day and night, fully disciplined with no drama, no vendettas, just results or the American people," she said. 

Fox News Digital's Brie Stimson contributed to this report.

Alex Scott/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley will compete in a vital presidential primary race in her own home state, with the hopes that her former constituents will rally behind her in her bid for the White House.

Haley grew up in the small town of Bamberg, South Carolina, living in the state for decades until she was eventually elected to serve as governor in 2011. The former United Nations ambassador recently visited her hometown while on the campaign trail to meet with voters ahead of the highly anticipated presidential primary race. 

While Haley has an edge after being previously elected to serve as governor of the Palmetto State, her GOP competitor former President Donald Trump, remains the frontrunner of the race after winning every Republican presidential primary of the 2024 cycle thus far. 

Trump and Haley, the two remaining candidates in the GOP field, will face off at the South Carolina presidential primary race on Saturday, Feb. 24.

Photographer: Sam Wolfe/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Nikki Haley’s son Nalin Haley, 22, has stepped into the political spotlight as his mom campaigns for the 2024 GOP nomination. Nalin was seen campaigning during a rally for his mother in Gilbert, South Carolina on February 10.  

Nalin did not shy away from taking a jab at Sen. Tim Scott for endorsing former President Donald Trump over his mother.  “Senator Judas—excuse me, Senator Scott,” he said at the rally, according to the Guardian.  

Later on, Haley reportedly responded with “Nalin, I will deal with you later,” in a joking manner. 

A spokesperson for Sen. Scott commented on Nalin’s remark in a statement, referring to the senator’s mother: “You’d never hear Ms. Frances or anyone from the Scott family talk like that.”  

Back in November, Haley and her two children appeared in an interview to talk with Fox News’ Harris Faulkner.  

Both Rena and Nalin talked about their mother and father’s careers and how their parents taught them “to love and respect this country and really understand what it means to be blessed to live in America.” 

Nalin helped work with his mother’s campaign over the summer of 2023, but during his time back at school, he said he would ask for $5 every Friday, where they would send texts discussing issues or a memory as a family, asking for $5 donations to the campaign.  

Haley said her children have been an encouragement to her as she has been in the political sphere and taken the path of running for president.  

After a landslide victory in Iowa, former President Donald Trump was hoping for a knockout blow to former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. Haley was hoping for a decisive comeback victory. Neither left happy.

New Hampshire, a state known for their moderates and independents, was a prime opportunity for Haley to have a strong showing. While she performed well, gaining 43% of the vote to Trump’s 56%, it was not enough to overcome Trump’s command of the Republican base.

At his victory party, Trump taunted Haley, saying, "She's doing, like, a speech like she won. She didn't win. She lost ... She had a very bad night."

Haley responded in kind, “You’ve all heard the chatter among the political class. They’re falling all over themselves saying this race is over. Well, I have news for all of them: New Hampshire is the first in the nation. It’s not the last in the nation. This race is far from over. There are dozens of states left to go.”

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 24: A South Carolina residents checks in before casting his ballot at the Cayce United Methodist Church on February 24, 2024 in Columbia, South Carolina. South Carolina holds its Republican primary today. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

In South Carolina, the Republican primary is a semi-closed primary, meaning anyone can vote in it, regardless of party registration. 

The only restriction is that people voting in the Republican primary cannot have voted in the Democratic primary earlier in the year. 

The deadline to submit early vote ballots was February 22, between 8:30-6:00 p.m. ET at specified polling locations. Primary Day voting will occur on Saturday, February 24, from 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. To vote, South Carolinians will need some form of government issued I.D. such as a South Carolina Driver’s License, military ID, passport, or South Carolina voter registration card with photo identification.

Unofficial results are expected to be reported that evening. Former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and Equity Group CEO Ryan Binkley are on the ballot. 

Registered voters can look up their precinct and polling places at scvotes.gov.

South Carolina does not have same-day voter registration. Voters must be registered at least 30 days prior to any election in order to vote in that election. 

Fox News Digital's Matteo Cina contributed to this update.

In January, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina called for the GOP to unify around Trump minutes after formally endorsing him for President. 

"It's time for us to unite our party so that we make sure that the only target we're talking about is firing Joe Biden," Scott emphasized after formally backing the former president at a Trump campaign rally in New Hampshire's state capital city.

"The best way for us to get rid of Joe Biden as our president is to unite our party now behind Donald Trump," Scott added.

He is not alone, 26 GOP senators have backed Trump and nearly 120 House Republicans are supporting Trump along with 10 governors. 

Trump, the commanding front-runner for the nomination as he makes his third straight White House run, is leagues ahead of his only remaining GOP 2024 rival - former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley - when it comes to endorsements.

"It's weird to see such an outsider having everyone in D.C. behind him, and unifying the party at such an early stage," veteran Republican strategist Matthew Bartlett told Fox News.

"Fox & Friends" co-host Ainsley Earhardt spoke with voters in her hometown of Columbia, South Carolina ahead of Saturday's primary election.

One woman said she and her husband were planning on voting for former President Donald Trump to get the economy back on track. 

"We have a very large family. And, you know, we just need things — they were not like this few years ago when he was in office. So we just want to see if we can get lower gas prices and lower groceries and things like that," she told Earhardt. 

Another man said he was voting for Trump, "because I like the way we were four years ago." 

A third man said he planned to vote for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, but added that he will support "whoever the Republican is that gets nominated in the convention." 

"If President Trump gets the nomination, that's who. I will definitely support him," he said. 

REUTERS/Emily Elconin

Former President Donald Trump’s performance in South Carolina has been relatively consistent since his entrance into the political arena.

In 2016, Trump won the primary with 32.5% of the vote compared to Marco Rubio’s 22.5%, Ted Cruz’s 22.3%, and Jeb Bush’s 7.9%. He later went on to win South Carolina in the general election with 55% of the vote. 

In 2020, with Trump being the incumbent, no Republican primary was held in South Carolina. In the general election, Trump defeated President Joe Biden with 55% of the vote.

Trump is expected to beat his old South Carolina record of 32.5% against former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. Primary day is Saturday, February 24th with the results being announced that evening.

Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was a 2016 presidential candidate. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The polls opened in South Carolina at 7:00 a.m. ET.

South Carolina is the “first in the south” primary and the fifth Republican contest of the primary season.The state traditionally has a strong evangelical showing and rewards socially conservative candidates. In 2016 former President Donald Trump won the state with 32% of the vote, beating Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio who got 22% each.

In the 2012 primary season Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich carried the state by 40% to later Presidential Nominee and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s 27%. South Carolina, a largely conservative state, has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1976 when the state went to Jimmy Carter.  

Democrats have prioritized South Carolina in their election lineup due to a growing number of minority voters. In 2004 Republicans won 57% of the vote in South Carolina and that number has remained relatively consistent all the way through the 2020 election between Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The 2024 presidential election marks an especially significant year for South Carolina primary voters.

The Democrat Party broke tradition by switching up their primary calendar for 2024 so that the first official primary would take place in South Carolina other than Iowa in an effort to reach more minority voters. 

The primary was held on Feb. 3, where incumbent President Biden was declared the winner of the party's primary calendar kickoff. 

On the Republican side, there is also an emphasis on the Palmetto State this cycle with the state's very own former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley competing on the GOP ballot. 

Haley is competing against former President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination, and voters nationwide are eager to see whether voters in her home state will rally behind her or support the former president.

Haley and Trump are set to face off at the South Carolina primary on Feb. 24, 2024.

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump. (Getty Images)

A (highly unlikely) defeat for former President Donald Trump would be a shocking upset that could dramatically reshape the state of the primary race.

After winning a landslide victory in Iowa, a solid victory in New Hampshire, and a landslide victory in Nevada, Trump has been advancing a message that the primary is practically over. And polls suggest a knockout victory for Trump in former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s home state.

However, if Haley is able to pull off a win (or even a tie) in South Carolina, it could show that Trump could be beaten and give Haley much needed momentum going into the all-important Super Tuesday contests.

Haley’s campaign has revolved around courting moderates and Republicans who have distanced themselves from the GOP in recent elections. If Haley has a strong showing in South Carolina, it would mean she is capable of making inroads with the evangelical base that would be required to win the presidential election.

In another primary election season, a knockout victory by former President Donald Trump against former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, in her own state, might be a campaign’s death knell. However, Haley has vowed to take the fight on through Super Tuesday and has made a point that she considers Trump a losing candidate in 2024.

Losses in all three primary states so far means Haley is not going into South Carolina with much momentum.

A significant loss in her own state would make that momentum even worse heading into Super Tuesday.

With around 800 delegates up for grab on March 5, and 150 over the next two weeks, if Haley does not perform well during Super Tuesday it could be virtually impossible for her candidacy to achieve the nomination. That makes every opportunity for her to gain any momentum prior to Super Tuesday invaluable and South Carolina could be her last opportunity.

Voters are casting ballots today in South Carolina, the last of the major early states to choose a Republican nominee for president before Super Tuesday.

Former President Donald Trump has maintained a consistent and commanding polling lead, while the state’s former governor, Nikki Haley, will try to prove that she is a viable candidate with a competitive performance.

She will need to win at least in Charleston and Richland to clear that bar, while Trump will be looking to sweep the rest of the state.

Two counties in upstate South Carolina, Greenville and Spartanburg, add up to about 16% of the registered voter population of the state.

Like the overall region, these two counties are also heavily White and evangelical.

As we saw in Iowa, these voters favor Trump by wide margins, and the latest polling in South Carolina suggests they will vote similarly here today.

In line with her strategy in New Hampshire, Haley will look to win in highly populated urban and suburban areas. 

Charleston and Richland, which make up about 16% of the overall statewide vote, are at the top of the list.

Charleston County is home to the city of the same name, which is also the most populated city in the state. Richland County contains Columbia, the state’s capital and home of the University of South Carolina.

Some of Trump’s best performances in the 2016 Republican primary came from very small, rural counties.

He received more than 40% of the vote in 13 counties, ten of which had populations of less than 50,000 people.

Look to places like Lee County, in central South Carolina, where Trump took home 47% of the vote, beating closest rival Cruz by 25 points. Lee County’s population is about 16,000 people and dropping.

And that was in a race with two popular challengers, at a time when Trump had not yet persuaded the base that he had the right conservative credentials.

Collectively, these rural areas represent a powerful part of the overall statewide vote in South Carolina.

Fox News' Rémy Numa contributed to this update.

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 09: U.S. President Donald Trump announces that he has accepted the resignation of Nikki Haley as US Ambassador to the United Nations, in the Oval Office on October 9, 2018 in Washington, DC. President Trump said that Haley will leave her post by the end of the year. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Nikki Haley has ramped up her attacks on former President Trump in the weeks before the South Carolina Republican primary, where Trump is widely expected to trounce her. 

On the campaign trail in the closing days, Haley told her supporters, "I will take the bruises. I will take the cuts. This is going to be messy and I'll take the hurt, because I believe nothing good comes easy. Sometimes we have to feel pain to appreciate the blessing."

Haley has also turned up the volume this month in her verbal attacks on Trump, from his legal entanglements to his controversial comments on NATO and the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, as well as his mocking of her husband, who is overseas on a military tour of duty.

Trump grabbed a majority of the votes in Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary victories in January, and won by a landslide earlier this month in the Nevada and U.S. Virgin Island caucuses, as he moves toward locking up the nomination.

The former president has only made a handful of stops in South Carolina this month, while he has campaigned relentlessly. But the final polls indicate Trump maintains a very large double-digit lead.

While South Carolina is home to Haley, the former president enjoys the backing of the state's governor, nearly the entire congressional delegation and scores of state lawmakers and local officials.

Veteran South Carolina-based Republican consultant Dave Wilson pointed to Trump's "groundswell" in the state and highlighted the former president's "ground forces."

Wilson, who remains neutral in the primary, also noted that "Nikki Haley is reintroducing herself to South Carolina" because "almost a million people have moved into the state since she was governor."

But pointing to her undefeated electoral record, Wilson said, "Never underestimate Nikki Haley. Never count Nikki Haley out."

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this update.

Nikki Haley is looking to prevent what Donald Trump's presidential campaign predicts will be an "a-- kicking" in her home state of South Carolina Saturday by courting independent voters.

"This is an open primary," Haley emphasized in a "Fox and Friends" interview this week.

The former two-term Palmetto State governor who later served as U.N. ambassador in the former president's administration notes that "anybody can vote in the primary, as long as you didn't vote in the Democrat primary on February 3rd in South Carolina."

Trump is the 2024 GOP frontrunner as he bids a third straight time for the White House. He grabbed a majority of the votes last month in Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary victories and won by a landslide earlier this month in the Nevada and U.S. Virgin Island caucuses to close in on locking up the nomination.

The final polls in South Carolina showed Trump maintaining a large double-digit lead over Haley, the last remaining major rival challenging the former president.

Independents helped fuel Haley's 43% showing in New Hampshire, where she lost to Trump by 11 points. But while independent voters have long played a crucial and influential role in the first-in-the-nation primary, they are much less of a factor in South Carolina's more conservative electorate, where evangelical voters enjoy prominence in GOP contests.