GOP Candidate Nikki Haley Loses Nevada Primary, Calls It a "Scam Rigged" for Rival Donald Trump

So what if Nikki Haley lost the Nevada caucus; she's focused on bigger states ahead of the 2024 elections. The former South Carolina governor downplayed the results of this week's caucus and called it a "scam." After other Republicans exit the presidential race, Haley is the only party rival for GOP front-runner Donald Trump. 

The 52-year-old's remarks came a day after she lost the Primary ballot to the "none of these candidates" option. Unfazed, she told Fox News, "We always knew Nevada was a scam. Trump had it rigged from the very beginning. There are multiple press stories on that." However, she clarified that her focus has always been on other key battleground states. 

"Our focus is on South Carolina going into Michigan, going into Super Tuesday. Those are the places that we're worried about. We're not focused on Nevada. We never were," said Haley. "In terms of Nevada, we have not spent a dime nor an ounce of energy on Nevada," clarifying, "So Nevada is not and has never been our focus." 

While speaking to the outlet during a campaign stop in South California, Haley further emphasized, "We knew months ago that we weren't going to spend a day or a dollar in Nevada because it wasn't worth it. And so we didn't even count Nevada. That wasn't anything we were looking at." 

Meanwhile, hours before the counting began, Trump took to his preferred network, Truth Social, and aimed at Haley, "A bad night for Nikki Haley. Losing by almost 30 points in Nevada to 'None of These Candidates.' Watch, she'll soon claim Victory!" The ex-president's campaign's senior adviser, Chris LaCivita, followed suit in his social media post, "More embarrassment coming in South Carolina …the @NikkiHaley Delusional Tour continues." 

As the former United States ambassador repeatedly called the Nevada caucus "rigged," the state has vehemently denied it. Haley further accused, "They wanted us to pay $55,000 to just participate in their caucus. So we didn't spend a day or $1 there. We weren't even worried about it. It's why we haven't talked about it." 

Haley skipped campaigning in Nevada altogether. When she was supposed to be in the state on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, she attended fundraisers in California. Backing her claims, the former governor's campaign spokeswoman, Olivia Perez-Cuba, echoed, "Even Donald Trump knows that when you play penny slots, the house wins. We're full steam ahead in South Carolina and beyond." 

As for the Democrats, POTUS Joe Biden won with a third straight ballot box victory in the Democratic presidential nomination race. After winning at the Nevada state, Biden said in a statement, "I want to thank the voters of Nevada for sending me and Kamala Harris to the White House four years ago and for setting us one step further on that same path again tonight." 

He concluded, "We must organize, mobilize, and vote. Because one day, when we look back, we'll be able to say, when American democracy was a risk, we saved it — together." The 81-year-old won the Nevada caucus with 90% of the vote.