Nancy Mace defends endorsing Trump over Haley: No reason for the GOP primary to continue beyond NH
South Carolina Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace told Fox News on Monday there is no reason for the GOP primary contest between Donald Trump and Nikki Haley to continue to her home state after Tuesday's New Hampshire primary.
Mace, who recently endorsed Trump, said the presidential sweeps should narrow to a race between Trump and President Biden.
However, she proffered that Haley – who had campaigned for her in the past – is a formidable political figure either way.
"Nikki Haley was a great governor for South Carolina. She's run a great race. And look, when she jumped in, I told everyone… not to underestimate her. And she's the last opponent standing today," Mace said.
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"But I also have an obligation to listen to my voters in my district, to listen to the state of South Carolina. They are saying overwhelmingly they are with Donald Trump."
Mace went on to criticize Biden, saying he has a track record of four years of weak leadership, and contrasting him with Trump's message of "peace, prosperity and patriotism."
"There's no reason why this race should continue on to South Carolina after tomorrow," she told "America Reports." "We need to have it a one-on-one race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden."
Mace said many Americans want the primary to end, and instead for Republicans to focus on defeating Biden given all the turmoil around the country and globe.
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Asked about polls showing Haley defeating Biden at a greater margin than Trump, Mace said the former president "crushed it" in the Iowa caucuses and is primed to win not only her Lowcountry district but the entire Palmetto State.
The South Carolina Republican presidential primary is February 24. The DNC moved its primary up to February 3.
Another South Carolina lawmaker who recently endorsed Trump, Sen. Tim Scott, told "The Story" Monday that he threw his support behind the former president not in spite of his state's former governor, but in the best interest of the nation.
After hearing of Scott's endorsement, Haley said that "he has to live with that decision." Scott was notably appointed by Haley to the Senate, upon the resignation of Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., who became president of the Heritage Foundation.
Scott said he had the option to either sit on the sidelines of the race or to endorse Trump.
"I did so for three very specific reasons. Number one: When I fought for Opportunity Zones to bring more resources to the poorest Americans, Donald Trump said yes. When I cut taxes and wrote the personal side of the tax code, lowering a single mother's taxes by 70%, the president, Donald Trump, said yes."
"When I looked around the world in the Middle East, in Eastern Europe and in the Indo-Pacific, we had peace, peace and peace; stability. Why?"
"President Trump brought stability because he understood peace-through-strength. That's missing. We need four more years of that."
When asked if he would entertain speculation that he is a potential running mate choice for Trump, Scott said he did not endorse in search of a job. Instead, Scott said, he wants the ability to work beside the president in fighting for common issues for the betterment of the American people.