南卡罗来纳州的选民准备参与进来周六的共和党总统初选:前总统之间的对决唐纳德·特朗普前州长。妮基·黑利.
由于海莉在民调中大幅落后于特朗普，美国广播公司新闻频道(ABC News)在过去三周询问她的支持者，尽管她落后如此之多，为什么他们仍然支持她。
在此前的初选中获胜后，特朗普预计将在海莉的家乡南卡罗来纳州轻松击败海莉538的平均投票率显示海莉落后特朗普30个百分点。
但是海莉说她没有被吓住。本周早些时候，她发誓要继续为南卡罗来纳州和更远的地方而战，说她觉得“没有必要亲吻戒指。”
选民埃德·科辛斯基说，尽管海利已经连任两届州长，但要在该州获胜仍具有挑战性。
“我认为这会很艰难。是啊，废黜国王很难。这就是(特朗普)想要成为的人，”科辛斯基说。他一年前从康涅狄格州搬到了南卡罗来纳州的基亚沃。
“我认为她可以做到，我认为我们不能放弃这一权利。她必须这么做。特朗普或拜登的四年前景真的很可怕。”
科辛斯基说海莉是美国现在所需要的。
“美国真的需要一位有思想、强有力的领导人。我认为，对美国来说，我们已经到了这个关键时刻。我们需要一个我们信任的人。这将带领我们去我们需要去的地方。妮基有这种能力。”
海莉最近给这位前总统打电话，大幅增加了对特朗普的批评“精神错乱”和“更加衰弱”周二，她说政治家们知道特朗普是一场“灾难”。
她还在竞选广告中增加了热度-攻击特朗普过去嘲笑退伍军人的言论。最近，两人就特朗普嘲笑海莉的丈夫进行了争论，海莉的丈夫正在南卡罗来纳州国民警卫队(South Carolina National Guard)在非洲服役一年。
特朗普本月早些时候在南卡罗来纳州的一次竞选活动中暗示，海莉的丈夫正在非洲度假。黑利说，他的评论“深深地伤害了”为美国牺牲的军人家庭。
接受美国广播公司新闻采访的几位选民表示，他们支持海莉，希望她继续竞选，战胜特朗普，并最终战胜民主党推定提名人拜登。
“无论何时选举随着时间的推移，人们总是说他们必须在两个不同的(候选人)之间做出选择，哪一个更不邪恶。但是在这次选举中，我真的不认为……当你把妮基·黑利和其他两个邪恶相比较时，就有一个邪恶，”21岁的独立人士莉莉·泰勒说。
2020年投票给特朗普的几个人正在考虑这次改变他们的投票，希望海莉能赢。
丽贝卡·琼斯说，她对特朗普感到厌恶，对海莉“印象深刻”。
共和党总统候选人、前美国驻联合国大使妮基·黑利·格里.
艾丽莎·指针/路透社
“我确实喜欢他一开始做事的方式，但我认为发生的事情是我认为他有点转变了，现在一切都是关于他的。这不是我们的事。一切都是为了他。如果我们不像他那样思考，那就不好了，我不喜欢这样，”琼斯说。
在上次选举中投票给特朗普的共和党人帕特·桑德斯说，他认为海利可以在南卡罗来纳州的初选中获胜。他说，特朗普的行为、态度和言论让他考虑海利，他说海利作为该州州长有“绝妙的想法”。
“我喜欢尼基说的话，”桑德斯说。“…我正处于风口浪尖上。”
科辛斯基说，黑莉曾抨击特朗普和拜登年龄过大，她为竞选带来了一些急需的年轻人。
“我70多岁了，我可以告诉你，我太老了，当不了总统。而且我比(拜登和特朗普)都年轻。所以，是时候让他们靠边站了。让我们让一些年轻人排队，”他说。“我喜欢我们有一位女性总统候选人的想法，一位有思想、坚强的女性。我认为这对美国来说很棒。”
'I think she can do it': Why some South Carolina voters are sticking with Haley despite polls.
Voters in South Carolina are getting ready to weigh in onSaturday's Republican presidential primary: a matchup between former PresidentDonald Trumpand former Gov.Nikki Haley.
With Haley significantly trailing Trump in the polls, ABC News asked her supporters over the past three weeks why they're still pulling for her despite her being so far behind.
After his wins in previous primaries, Trump is expected to beat Haley handily in her home state of South Carolina with538's polling averageshowing Haley trails Trump by 30 points.
But Haley says she isn't deterred. Earlier this week,she vowed to stay in the race for South Carolina and beyond, saying she feels "no need to kiss the ring."
Voter Ed Kosinski said it will be challenging for Haley, despite being the state's two-term governor, to win in the state.
"I think it's going to be tough. Yeah, it's tough to dethrone the king. And that's what [Trump] wants to be," said Kosinski -- who moved to Kiawah, South Carolina, a year ago from Connecticut.
"I think she can do it and I think we can't give up that right. She's got to do it. The prospect of four years of Trump or Biden is really scary."
Kosinski said Haley is what America needs right now.
"America really needs a thoughtful, strong leader. And we've reached this critical time, I think, for the United States. We've got to have someone that we have confidence in. That's going to lead us where we need to go. Nikki's got that."
Haley has sharply ramped up her criticism of Trump, recently calling the former president"unhinged" and "more diminished."On Tuesday, she said politicians know Trump is a "disaster."
She has also turned up the heat on her campaign ads --attacking Trump for his past comments mocking military veterans. More recently, the two have sparred over Trump's mocking jabs at Haley's husband, who is serving a one-year deployment in Africa with the South Carolina National Guard.
Trump implied during a campaign event in South Carolina, earlier this month that Haley's husband is in Africa to get away. Haley said his comments "cut deep" for military families who sacrifice for the United States.
Several voters who spoke with ABC News said they supported Haley and hope she stays in the race to prevail over Trump -- and eventually Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee.
"Wheneverelections come around, people always say that they have to choose between two different [candidates] and which one is the less evil. But in this election, I don't really think … there is an evil when you look at Nikki Haley versus the other two evils," said 21-year-old independent Lilli Taylor.
Several people who voted for Trump in 2020, are considering changing their votes this time around, hoping Haley can win.
Rebecca Jones said she has soured on Trump and is "very impressed" with Haley.
"I did like the way he did things in the beginning, but I think what happened is I think he kind of turned, and now it's all about him. It's not about us. It's all about him. If we don't think the way he does, it's not good, and I don't like that," Jones said.
Pat Sanders, a Republican who voted for Trump in the last election, said he thinks Haley can win in the South Carolina primary. He said Trump's behavior, attitude and comments led him to consider Haley, who he said had "wonderful ideas" as the state's governor.
"I like what Nikki has to say," Sanders said. "… I was on the cusp."
Haley, who has attacked both Trump and Biden over their age, brings some much-needed youth to the race, Kosinski said.
"I'm in my 70s and I can tell you, I'm too old to be president. And I'm younger than both [Biden and Trump]. So, it's time for them to move aside. Let's get some youth in line," he said. "I love the idea that we have a woman as a candidate for president, a thoughtful, strong woman. I think it's great for America."
