Haley is now the last obstacle to Trump claiming the GOP nomination

Manchester, New Hampshire CNN —

Nikki Haley is now the last candidate standing between Donald Trump and his third-straight Republican nomination and total dominance of the GOP.

Unless the former South Carolina governor can pull off a shock win in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary, the Republican Party’s nominating race could effectively be over before it really began.

Their clash in the Granite State became even more critical when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pulled out of the race on Sunday afternoon and endorsed Trump, after failing to beat him in the Iowa caucuses and as it became clear he had no path forward.

His withdrawal came as Trump is turning his full attention to Haley and calling on Republican voters to deliver him a New Hampshire primary win that is so comprehensive that it all but ends the nationwide nominating contest.

If Haley does not beat Trump, or at least come close, she may struggle to outline a rationale to continue against the ex-president and to convince donors she remains a good financial investment.

Haley told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday afternoon that she is now where she always wanted to be, in a straight fight against Trump.

“There’s two people in this race. That’s what we wanted all along. We are going to keep on going.”

Trump is already using his relentless political machine to try to crush Haley’s White House dreams in South Carolina, the next big primary state, where she served as governor and hopes to transform the race.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump walking toward the podium before his remark at a campaign event in Manchester, N.H., Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024.

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