Nikki Haley visits West Michigan ahead of primary

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Former Ambassador Nikki Haley visited Grand Rapids Monday, the day before the state’s presidential primary.

Haley held a campaign rally at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel downtown.

“Thank you to the many of you who decided to come out (to) save our country, because we have a country to save,” Haley told the crowd of supporters gathered.

Poll has Trump, Biden leading handily in Michigan primary

She pushed a fiscally conservative platform, saying the national debt is too high and criticizing Republican lawmakers in Congress for funding “pet projects.”

“We are now, for the first time, paying more money in interest payments than we are on defense budgets. You know who’s paying attention to that? Russia, China and Iran,” she said. “And I would love to tell you that Joe Biden did that to us. But I’ve always spoken in hard truths and I’m going to do that with you today. Donald Trump and our Republicans did that to us, too.”

She promised if elected, to “stop the spending,” “stop the borrowing” and “eliminate their pet projects.” She said she would take projects away from the federal government and move them to the states.

She also promised a crackdown on illegal immigration, a Republican mainstay, better care for veterans and stronger national security.

“This is the time when we need a leader who has moral clarity,” Haley said. “We need a leader that knows the difference between right and wrong.”

She blamed former President Donald Trump for shifting the Republican Party’s focus on fiscal conservatism and national security, and “turning the Republican party into his own playpen.” She said he’s more concerned about himself than he is about the problems Americans face.

McDaniel to step down as RNC chair March 8 as Trump marches toward nomination

Haley is coming off a loss to Trump in her home state of South Carolina, and a new poll released Monday morning showed Trump leading her easily in Michigan. But she pointed out to her supporters that polls show most Americans don’t want to see a rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden in November.

And she pushed an optimistic perspective as she addressed reporters before her rally.

“The biggest takeaway, I think, coming in after South Carolina, is you look at all the early states, and Donald Trump, as technically the Republican incumbent, did not win 40% of the vote. So what you are looking at is something is shifting. And this has been happening for a while,” she said.

Inside woodtv.com: Election results

Michigan is again expected to be a key battleground state in the November election. 270towin.com, a website that tracks polls and forecasts the electoral vote, projects that Democrats have about 226 electoral votes leaning their way and Republicans 235. It takes 270 to win. There are 44 electoral votes up for grabs between Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. That’s enough to put either side over the top. A candidate could also win one of those states in combination with toss-ups Georgia, Arizona or Nevada.

Trump was on the southeast side of Michigan on the first day of the mandatory early voting period to rally supporters. Vice President Kamala Harris was in Grand Rapids last week for her nationwide “Fight For Reproductive Freedoms” tour.

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