Trump holds 23-point lead over Haley in South Carolina: Poll

Former President Trump holds a 23-point lead over former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley in South Carolina, less than a week from the state’s Republican presidential primary. 

Fifty-eight percent of likely South Carolina Republican primary voters said they supported Trump, while 35 percent said the same about Haley, according to a survey from Emerson College Polling/The Hill released Tuesday. Another 7 percent of voters said they were undecided. 

When undecided voters were asked to pick a candidate, Trump had 61 percent support, to Haley’s 39 percent. 

Since South Carolina does not have party registration, its primaries are considered open. The poll showed Haley leading with independent voters. 

“There is a divide among Republican and independent affiliated voters,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling. “Voters who affiliate as Republicans break for Trump over Haley, 71 percent [to] 29 percent, while voters who affiliate as Independent break for Nikki Haley 54 percent to 46 percent.”

The poll also found that Trump led Haley with voters who said their top issues were the economy, immigration, and crime, respectively. Haley, on the other hand, led with the smaller number of GOP primary voters who said threats to democracy, education, and abortion access were their top issues.

The findings come less than a week from the South Carolina primary. Most polls have shown Trump dominating Haley in her home state. The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s polling average shows Trump leading Haley by 32 points. 

Despite trailing Trump, Haley has continued campaigning in South Carolina and Super Tuesday states. 

“I don’t think he should be president. The last thing on my mind is who I’m going to support. The only thing on my mind is how we’re going to win this,” Haley told ABC News on Sunday. 

The Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey was conducted Feb. 14-16 among 1,000 registered voters. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.