On February 29, Republican Presidential Candidate and Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley rallied in front of several hundred supporters – swinging through Richmond, Va. as she hopes to gain momentum in her increasingly uphill battle against Former President Donald Trump.
“In a general election, we’re given a choice. In a primary, we make our choice,” Haley said. Virginia voters will go to the polls for the presidential primary on Tuesday, March 5. This marks Super Tuesday, the largest day of voting in the Republican primary where 15 states will hold contests and around 36% of delegates will be allocated. Haley has fallen short in the first six nominating contests, heightening the importance of Super Tuesday to her campaign.
During her speech at The Westin Richmond, Haley outlined her vision for America in front of supporters – touching on a variety of topics including foreign policy, abortion, taxes, education, the national debt, among others. She also paid particular attention to contrasting herself with her opponents, Trump and incumbent President Joe Biden.
Specifically, Haley brought up the issue of age, which she has repeatedly called for mental competency tests for politicians over 75 and advocated for term limits. “Congress has become the most privileged nursing home in the country,” Haley said. Later, she added, “60% of Americans have said Joe Biden's too old and Donald Trump's too old to run for president.”
Furthermore, Haley hit on a number of issues directly relating to college students. “Look at the younger generation… They went through COVID, which was traumatic for them, then they see this $34 trillion in debt, they get that they're going to have to do something with that, and that they're going to be responsible. They're worried about finding a job, they're worried about how they're going to make ends meet, they don't ever see the possibility of owning a home. And they worry about wars breaking out,” Haley said, and later added, “Then we want to know why there's so much stress, anxiety and depression from them. They don't deserve that. Our kids deserve to know what normal feels like.”
At the end of her speech, Haley also referred to her son, a senior in college “writ[ing] papers of things he doesn't believe in, just to get an A.” She added, “That's not us. That's not America.” Haley has often hit on the issue of free speech on college campuses throughout her campaign.
Haley currently trails Trump in the delegate count 122-24 as of March 1, according to the Associated Press. Candidates need 1,215 delegates to become the Republican presidential nominee. Therefore, Haley needs a strong performance in the states voting on Tuesday to remain viable in the race for the nomination.
Results from the first six primaries have shown that Haley typically performs better in more urban and suburban areas, meaning she likely needs a strong performance from Northern Virginia and Richmond to have a shot at winning statewide. Following her rally in Richmond, Haley held an event in Falls Church, Virginia – which sits between Fairfax and Arlington.
During her campaign trip prior to Super Tuesday, she has also swung through Minnesota, Colorado and Utah – and will soon head to Washington D.C., North Carolina, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine and Texas.
Trump will also visit Virginia prior to Super Tuesday, holding a Get-Out-The-Vote rally at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on Saturday, March 2.
Nikki Haley campaigns in RichmondPhoto by Anthony AndersonAnthonyAndersonFmr. Editor-In-Chief
Anthony.Anderson@live.longwood.edu
