Nikki Haley hosts a rally in North Charleston to kick off her swing in the Palmetto State leading up to the State’s primay, in Charleston, South Caroline, United States on January 24, 2024.
Peter Zay | Anadolu | Getty Images
The Republican presidential campaign of Nikki Haley said it raked in a $1.2 million spike in donations in one day, after former President Donald Trump vowed to blacklist Haley’s donors.
“Trump’s scheme blew up in his face,” Haley spokeswoman AnnMarie Graham-Barnes declared in a press release Thursday night announcing the fundraising surge.
The former United Nations ambassador’s campaign said it has taken in a total of $2.6 million since polls closed in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary, which Trump won by more than 11 points.
Despite losing to Trump in what was possibly her most competitive state, Haley is vowing to stay in the race as it heads to her home state of South Carolina, where she served as governor. But polls of the Palmetto State show Haley trailing Trump by much wider margins.
Trump, who solidified his front-runner status after winning the first two nominating presidential contests, has groused about continuing to spend campaign money fending off Haley that could be used to challenge President Joe Biden in a general election.
On Wednesday night, Trump ratcheted up the pressure on Haley by targeting her donors.
“When I ran for Office and won, I noticed that the losing Candidate’s ‘Donors’ would immediately come to me, and want to ‘help out,'” he wrote in a Truth Social post.
“This is standard in Politics, but no longer with me,” Trump wrote. “Anybody that makes a ‘Contribution’ to Birdbrain, from this moment forth, will be permanently barred from the MAGA camp.”
“We don’t want them, and will not accept them, because we Put America First, and ALWAYS WILL!” Trump wrote.
Haley responded to that post directly by posting a link to her donation page. Her campaign also started selling T-shirts with the phrase “BARRED. PERMANENTLY.” on the front.
“Donald Trump’s threats highlight the stark choice in this election: personal vendettas or real conservative leadership,” Graham-Barnes said in Thursday’s statement.
“Trump’s scheme blew up in his face. The contributions to the Haley campaign are pouring in—proof that people are sick of the drama and are rallying behind Nikki’s vision for a strong and proud America.”
The $2.6 million windfall was revealed after The New York Times reported that the top super PAC backing Haley said it raised $50.1 million in the second half of 2023, beating the amount raised by Trump’s main super PAC in the same period.
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