Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has not spent “one dime” running in Thursday’s Nevada Republican presidential caucus, her campaign told reporters Monday.
“Nevada is not and has never been our focus,” campaign manager Betsy Ankney said during a press call.
“We haven’t spent a dime or an ounce of energy on Nevada.”
Haley’s name will be on the ballot in Tuesday’s nonbinding GOP primary in Silver State, making her ineligible for any of the 26 delegates up for grabs.
The strange dual process comes after the state Republican Party protested a new Nevada law requiring both parties to hold primaries instead of caucuses.
Haley, 52, initially registered for the primary ballot when more Republican candidates were running — in part to avoid paying the $55,000 caucus registration fee.
Haley’s campaign has also maintained a “rigged” caucus for GOP front-runner Donald Trump, who has close ties to Republican leadership in the Upstate.
Nikki Haley is ignoring Nevada in an effort to put more resources into South Carolina. AP
“We made an early decision that we would not pay $55,000 to a Trump entity to participate in a rigged process for Trump,” added Ankney, referring to the Nevada Republican Party, before arguing that “the caucus generally tends to benefit. Trump, given that he is former president.”
Meanwhile, Trump, 77, has flaunted the fact that he is ready to gather all the delegates in Nevada, where only long-shot candidate Ryan Binkley is also registered for the caucus.
The 45th president has held several rallies in the state and will hold a caucus watch party to ring in Thursday night’s results.
Instead of Nevada, the Haley campaign is putting most of its resources into the February 24 primary in South Carolina.
The former ambassador to the United Nations has held 11 events in his home state since finishing second on Jan. 23 in New Hampshire, Ankney said.
Donald Trump has held several rallies in Nevada and has already boasted about his upcoming victory. Getty Images
The first primary poll in the South shows Haley trailing Trump by more than 25 points with less than three weeks to go.
Ankney downplayed the dismal survey, saying he would “caution anyone not to read too much into any general survey that’s out there.”
He argued Haley was an “underdog” in the race but she had consistent momentum, with the campaign raising $16.5 million in January.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
