Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley's "town hall" event in the state turned into an unexpectedly large gathering, with around 2,500 people inside a college gymnasium and hundreds more waiting outside. The event's capacity was reached, and public safety officials had to turn people away due to overcrowding. Haley, performing well in polls for the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary, is in close competition with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Iowa. During the event, Haley responded to criticism from entrepreneur and author Anand Ramaswamy regarding her daughter's use of TikTok. This exchange was deemed by many to be a "dirty move" by Ramaswamy.

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The recent event featuring former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley marked her growing influence in the GOP primary, especially after Senator Tim Scott's exit earlier this month. However, if she aims to surpass the current GOP front-runner, Donald Trump, her home state of South Carolina will be a crucial battleground. Despite Haley's rising popularity, she trails Trump by a significant margin of 30 points, as evidenced by the overwhelming cheers he received during a recent football game in South Carolina. Although Trump's core supporters remain committed to him, political analysts are questioning whether he can count on the support of the majority of the Republican electorate in the future. Republican donor and Haley supporter Chad Walldorf acknowledges Trump's loyal base but believes it may not represent most of the GOP electorate in the long run.

South Carolina's early primary is assumed to be crucial for the Republicans desperate to block Trump from gaining the nomination. With DeSantis losing support and Scott's departure, Haley emerges as the frontrunner in the primary's undercard race. New donors and supporters are now flocking to Haley, making her the only candidate to receive momentum. 

Despite the numerous challenges that have come his way, such as legal issues, potential health problems, and electability concerns, Trump has successfully promoted himself. He is anticipated to perform even better if he nominates himself for the 2024 presidential race. However, the success of Haley's campaign largely depends on Trump's popularity with Republican primary voters, which may not be as high as indicated by polls. According to the latest news widely available over the internet, there could be a reckoning next year as some of Trump's poll numbers may be exaggerated, and his actual results may not match the current data. Despite these uncertainties, Trump's numbers so far are still overwhelming. His campaign has focused on South Carolina, the fourth early-voting state after Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada, since the beginning of his presidential bid. In January, the campaign announced a list of high-profile endorsers, including the Republican governor and senior senator of the state, despite Haley and Scott considering their campaigns at the time.

People close to Trump have boasted about the endorsements of 80 current and former elected officials in South Carolina, which is more than any other Republican candidate in the race. The campaign has also mobilized supporters to make daily phone calls and knock on doors to drum up support. Despite the recent momentum of Governor Haley in Iowa and New Hampshire, McCubbin dismissed her as a "paper tiger" with "a lot of tough talk."

While Haley's rise in national polling and early states is undisputed, it remains whether her surge will significantly damage Trump's lead. At a recent campaign event in Bluffton, many attendees made it clear that they never considered supporting Trump in the primary, suggesting Haley's support is not necessarily denting his. Haley has resisted full-on attacks against Trump, alternating between praise for some of his past policies and criticism of his personality and leadership qualities. "The truth is, rightly or wrongly, chaos follows him," Haley said, using a line she has begun to employ regularly on the campaign trail. "You know I'm right. Chaos follows him." Haley's strategy of not entirely isolating the pro-Trump wing of the Republican Party appears to be warranted. Not every Haley fan in the room on Monday was down on Trump. One attendee was undecided ahead of the state's February primary, torn between backing the former president and Haley.

In order for Republicans to improve their chances of winning the presidency in 2024, adopting a strategic approach that involves selecting the most popular candidate and pairing them with the opposing candidate as a potential vice presidential running mate could potentially elevate the Republican Party to a higher level.

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