Nikki Haley says ‘I’m a woman of my word’ as she STAYS in the race after crushing loss to Trump in her home state: Defiant Republican refuses to drop out because most Americans disapprove of both Biden and Donald

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley told supporters Saturday night in Charleston that she remained in the presidential race — despite being defeated by former President Donald Trump in her home state of South Carolina.

Haley quickly became an embarrassment in the state she governed from 2011 to 2017 — with the Associated Press calling for Trump in South Carolina at 7 p.m. sharp — just as the Palmetto State polls closed.

By the time she took the stage around 8:30 p.m., Trump was about 20 points ahead of her, while Haley held about 40 percent.

That number, she said, meant enough support for her to continue.

“There are huge numbers of voters in our Republican primaries who say they want an alternative,” she said. “I said earlier this week that no matter what happens in South Carolina, I would continue to run for president. I am a woman of my word.’

The Republican presidential candidate greets supporters as she arrives at her primary party in Charleston, South Carolina. She told the crowd that the roughly 40 percent of votes she received in her home state was enough to advance

Before the primaries, some of the biggest names in her state’s Republican Party had endorsed Trump.

That included Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, a former 2024 rival who endorsed Trump ahead of last month’s New Hampshire primary — despite Haley appointing Scott to the U.S. Senate while she served as governor.

Nancy Mace of South Carolina also decided to support Trump, despite the fact that he endorsed her Republican primary rival in 2022 after she criticized him on January 6.

That’s when Haley came to her rescue, campaigning to keep Mace in her Charleston-area congressional seat.

Mace repaid the favor by calling Haley “China’s favorite governor” during a campaign stop in early February.

“And if she had her way, South Carolina would start producing spy balloons right here in our state,” Mace said.

Nikki Haley supporter Jamil N. Jaffer reacts after Donald Trump was quickly declared the winner of South Carolina’s Republican primary during the former governor’s campaign event in Charleston on Saturday evening

The former U.N. ambassador’s supporters danced in front of the jumbotron as former President Donald Trump touted his victory in Haley’s home state

DailyMail.com found that Haley got some help from Democrats, independents and libertarians on Saturday, hoping to slow Trump’s rapid ascent to the November ballot.

“I’m definitely a Democrat,” said 54-year-old social worker Cynthia Plasters as she voted with her husband at Hunley Park Elementary School in North Charleston.

She said she voted in Saturday’s Republican primary “because I don’t want Trump to be on the ballot, and that’s exactly why.”

‘Because I hate Trump. I hate Trump. “I think he’s a criminal and I think he’s corrupt in every way, and I think he’s terrible,” Plasters said.

Her husband Chad, 52, also voted for Haley, but is independent.

He chose the former governor of South Carolina not only to stop the ex-president, but also because his values ​​are “more aligned with Nikki than with Trump.”

Stephen Miller, 42, who works at a sushi restaurant in Mount Pleasant, said he normally votes for Libertarian candidates but endorsed Haley on Saturday.

Haley (left) assists her mother Raj (right) at the polling place on Kiawah Island on Saturday. She spoke to reporters about how “blessed we are to be in this country” after watching her mother vote for her, a female candidate, in a U.S. presidential primary.

Nikki Haley heads to her polling place on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, on Saturday with mother Raj, son Nalin, daughter Rena and her son-in-law Joshua, as she braces for a possible loss to former President Donald Trump in her home state

‘I just think it’s time for a new direction. Some younger leadership. And I think she would be less divisive if she wanted to get the country back together, instead of being two opposites,” Miller said.

Shelby Joffrion, 43, of North Charleston, who works for Charleston city government, has voted in previous Republican primaries but considers herself a moderate and insisted she was “never a Trumper.”

On Saturday she went for Haley because “she is inspiring to women.”

“I feel like women like me, we have a voice and she makes me feel heard. And conversely, I don’t like the other majority candidate either. He has caused a lot of chaos and pain in our country.”

Joffrion said if Haley fails to win the nomination, she will likely vote Democratic in November.

“I will probably support Biden,” she told DailyMail.com.