Haley visits Laurens as early voting starts for Feb. 24 primary

By Judith Brown | February 15, 2024 |

Nikki Haley speaks with Lily Marie Smith during her stopover in Laurens on Monday. Photos by Judith Brown.

Laurens, South Carolina – Aboard her campaign bus, Beast of the Southeast 2024, Republican Presidential Candidate and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley made a trip to Laurens, speaking before a group of more than 70 on Monday morning in The Palmetto Room in downtown Laurens.
During the campaign stop less than two weeks ahead of the Feb. 24 South Carolina Republican Primary Presidential Election, Haley continued to go on the offensive against GOP frontrunner Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. Haley’s visit coincided with the first day of early voting for the primary, and she urged supporters to take advantage of early voting.
Haley said among her many concerns about Trump’s potential for second term as president is the discord that he brings about and made it clear that she plans to remain in the race for the Republican Presidential nomination.
“The problem is chaos follows him,” Haley said of Trump. “We’ve got to have a new generation of leaders that will leave the negativity and baggage behind and look forward to the solutions of the future.”
She also said many voters do not want to see a rematch of the 2020 election between Biden, 81, and Trump, 77, and are looking for a new generation of leaders.
Haley also heralded her credentials as a fiscal conservative.
“Our message is local,” she said. “You know my record from being governor of South Carolina and my record in defending America on the world stage. We have a country in disarray and a world on fire.”
Haley said she wanted to get spending in Washington under control.
“When I was governor of South Carolina we always had a balanced budget,” she said, adding that Biden’s falling approval ratings are, “a mandate to go out and cut the wasteful spending. We are $34 trillion in debt.”
She also acknowledged that about $8 trillion was added to the national debt during the Trump administration.
Though she needs a strong showing in her home state if she is to have any chance to catch Trump in the race for the GOP nomination, Haley made it clear that she has no intention of bowing to pressure to pull out of the race.
“When I announced there were 14 people in the race, and we defeated a dozen fellas. I just have one more fella I’ve got to catch up with,” Haley said, smiling.
“We don’t do coronations in America and South Carolinians deserve the ability to vote on this,” she said. “That’s what we do in America. In a general election you are given a choice but in the primary you can make the choice. Seventy percent of Americans don’t want to see a Trump-Biden rematch and I’m doing everything I can to make sure I work for those 70%. We’ll finish in South Carolina. We’ll go on to Michigan, and then we’re headed to Super Tuesday.”
Haley’s visit in Laurens was put together quickly, said Palmetto Room owner Apryl Bailey. She said a Haley staffer called Friday morning to ask if the venue was available to rent for the stopover.