South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley hasn't decided yet who to endorse in the state's GOP primary contest Saturday, but she knows it won't be Donald Trump.
"It's unfortunate when a candidate comes into South Carolina and doesn't know South Carolina's issues," she said Tuesday, referring to the GOP front-runner's criticism of her a day earlier,
The State reports.
Trump represents "everything a governor doesn't want in a president," she added,
CBS News reports, referring to Trump's criticism of her for not fighting the federal government hard enough on Syrian refugees and Guantanamo.
The State reports Haley — one of the state's most popular Republican politicians and a rising national GOP star — noted she already battles with President Barack Obama over the authority of the state — and jabbed the real estate billionaire's criticism as "quite Obama-like."
As for who she will support, Haley says she's still figuring it out.
"I'm doing what I think a lot of people in South Carolina are doing, which is I watched the debate [last Saturday night], I'm trying to go through all the situations, I'm looking at all the different candidates that are there, and I'm trying to figure out who that person would be," she said, The State reports.
"The decision is whether an endorsement would matter, and whether I jump out there or stay out of it."
"I want someone who will hold Republicans accountable," she added.
In an averaging of polls for the South Carolina GOP primary, Trump has a double digit lead of 35 percent support with his nearest rival, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who is 17.5 percent, followed by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, with 15.8 percent, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, with 10.3 percent, Ohio Gov. John Kasich with 9 percent and retired pediatric neurosurgeon Ben arson with 5.8 percent, according to
Real Clear Politics.
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