Former President Donald Trump wasted no time in attacking fellow Republican candidate Nikki Haley after she came in second to “none of these candidates” in the Nevada primary on Tuesday.
“A bad night for Nikki Haley,” Mr. Trump posted early Wednesday on Truth Social. “Losing by almost 20 points in Nevada to ‘None of These Candidates.’”
“Watch, she’ll soon claim Victory!” he said, referring to her speech after the New Hampshire primary, in which she finished second.
Ms. Haley faced no opposition on the Nevada primary ballot. The only options were “none of these candidates,” Ms. Haley and several candidates who had already dropped out.
Results showed that roughly 63% of Nevada voters chose “none of these candidates.” Ms. Haley followed, with 30.53% of support.
Mr. Trump was not on the Nevada primary ballot because he instead will participate in the state’s caucuses on Thursday.
Nevada had long held only caucuses, but the state government required the political parties to hold primaries this year. Exploiting a loophole in the primary law, the GOP opted to hold a primary in which no delegates were at stake and caucuses in which all of its 26 delegates are at stake. Candidates were not allowed to compete in both.
Ms. Haley, a former South Carolina governor, didn’t acknowledge her loss in Nevada, but instead posted a vague message on X.
“Even on our worst days, we are blessed to live in America,” she posted with an American flag and heart emoji.
Her main focus has been her home state of South Carolina, which has its primary later this month. The campaign hadn’t spent many resources on Nevada.
“In terms of Nevada, we have not spent a dime nor an ounce of energy on Nevada,” campaign manager Betsy Ankney told reporters Monday. “So Nevada is not and has never been our focus.”
There have been calls for her to suspend her campaign, but she has shown no signs of stopping. However, Mr. Trump continues to lead her in polls, even in South Carolina.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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