Nikki Haley visits Colorado ahead of Super Tuesday

DENVER (KDVR) — Super Tuesday is just one week away. Colorado is one of 16 states that will vote in the presidential primary.

The 2024 choices for president are becoming more clear by the day. Nikki Haley knows that, but she made it clear on a presidential campaign stop in Centennial that she plans to keep fighting.

Haley, who’s served as ambassador to the United Nations and South Carolina governor, campaigned in Colorado Tuesday, a day when Michigan voters were casting votes in the race where she stands as the final Republican candidate taking on her former boss, Donald Trump.

“This is not personal for me with Donald Trump. I voted for Donald Trump twice. I was proud to serve America in his administration. But the truth of the matter is, chaos follows him. Everywhere he goes, chaos follows him,” Haley told the crowd at Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight in Centennial.

Haley on border, Putin, Ukraine funding

Haley touched on issues like Denver’s migrant crisis, support for Ukraine and standing firm against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Let’s talk about the border. Denver has had more illegal immigrants come here than any city in America, per capita. It is unbelievable what is happening. I can’t believe this is the United States of America,” Haley told supporters. “When I was governor of South Carolina, we passed the toughest illegal immigration law in the country. President Obama sued us over it, and we won.”

Haley said she wants to take what she did in South Carolina and apply it nationally: requiring business owners to verify their employees are authorized to work in the U.S.

Haley also focused on Russia’s president and funding for the war in Ukraine.

“Donald Trump is going to side with a madman,” Haley said. “Believe Putin when he says once he takes Ukraine, Poland and the Baltics are next. Those are NATO countries. That immediately puts America at war. This is about preventing war.”

“I will always say we shouldn’t give cash to any country, friend or enemy, because you can’t follow it, you can’t hold it accountable. But if Ukraine needs the equipment and ammunition, if that’s 3.5% of our defense budget and that’s it, and it prevents war, give it to them,” Haley said.

Why Nikki Haley stays in after primary losses

Haley said she is still in the race because she’s worried about the future of the nation and the Republican Party, highlighting the campaign stops she has been making lately.

“We went to Minnesota. Same thing: They lost the governor’s mansion, they don’t have the statehouse, they don’t have the state senate, and they are feeling everything go the other way. Now, I’m in Colorado and I’m looking at the fact that no Republicans have gotten over 45% statewide since Donald Trump was president,” Haley said.

While Haley said she is staying put, some of her supporters believe she’s the candidate of the future.

“If Donald Trump were to win, vice president is coveted … because we know he is not going to serve more than four years,” said Shane Haase, a Haley supporter from Lakewood. “So essentially four years from now, if Haley doesn’t get the nomination — which looks likely, we all agree — four years from now, she’ll be in her mid-50s and would have a chance.”

Haley said Tuesday that the VP spot is not why she is still in the race.

“At first they were like, ‘Oh, she wants vice president.’ I think I’ve pretty much proven that that is not the case. And then they said, ‘Oh, but it’s about her political future.’ If it was about my political future, I would have been out a long time ago like the rest of the fellas. The reason I’m doing this is because I don’t want my kids to live like this. I don’t want your kids or your grandkids to live like this,” Haley told rallygoers.

Colorado voters have until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, to return their ballots. In the meantime, Haley is off to another primary state, Utah, for her next stop ahead of Super Tuesday.