OPINION: Haley lost to Trump in her home state.If she wants her political future, she needs to drop out

Editor’s note: W. James Antle III is editor-in-chief of the Washington Examiner and author of Devouring Freedom: Can Government Ever Be Stopped? The views expressed in this commentary are his own.See more opinion On CNN.

CNN
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This is the end for Nikki Haley. The former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations was the last major Republican primary candidate to run against former President Donald Trump, but his defeat in his home state on Saturday night meant the Republican Party won the 2024 presidential bid. It has become clear who will be chosen.

Haley was adamant that she would not be daunted if South Carolina Republicans chose Trump over her. She is still raising money at a breakneck pace and buying advertising space in states scheduled to vote in early March.

But Haley hasn’t won anywhere, including in the Nevada primary, where she lost by 30 points to “no candidate.” Mr. Trump did not appear in that race, but won in another caucus in Nevada, where he did win delegates. She is unlikely to win in her near future. Polls in Michigan and many Super Tuesday states suggest that her results only get worse for Haley from here.

Republicans have a history of rewarding past runner-ups with future nominations. This was also true of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, John McCain, and Mitt Romney. And with President Trump’s unprecedented legal situation, Republicans may need a backup plan.

However, if the primary battle with Trump drags on, Haley could be a viable option for securing the Republican nomination in 2028, or as an option to “break the glass in case of an emergency” later this year. You won’t be ready.

Mr. Reagan and his colleagues finished in second place in a highly competitive primary election ahead of the nomination, but that will not be the case in the 2024 election. At her current pace, Haley won’t make it to the 2024 Republican National Convention, which will have a large number of delegates. And given that so many delegates are deeply committed to Mr. Trump, Ms. Haley’s prolonged negative position in her primary campaign means that she is a candidate for Mr. Trump’s emergency replacement. It is unlikely that it will.

In the coming days, Haley will hear from many Republicans who don’t want the Republican primary to end soon. However, past primaries have been drawn out as other candidates have continued to win. Haley has no chance of winning. Even 2004 Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean, whose famous rallying cry was filled with false predictions of his victory, won in his home state.

If Haley continues to win, she is likely to lose by increasingly large margins as the race moves to multiple states and media markets simultaneously. Democrats could also be accused of delaying the party’s efforts to rally around Trump and joint fundraising while keeping President Joe Biden out of a semi-competitive primary.

It has been difficult for Republicans to run against President Trump this year without being seen as going against the Republican base. That’s the position Haley is in now. If she is going to help Trump win in November or make a personal reversal in the future, she should pay attention to voters in her home state and get out of the way.