Nikki Haley says 'I'm a woman of my word' as she STAYS in the race after crushing loss to Trump in her home state: Defiant Republican refuses to drop out because most Americans disapprove of both Biden and Donald

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley told supporters Saturday night in Charleston that she was staying in the presidential race - despite being trounced by former President Donald Trump in her home state of South Carolina. 

Haley suffered a quick embarrassment in the state she governed from 2011 to 2017 - with the Associated Press calling South Carolina for Trump at 7 p.m. on the dot - the moment Palmetto State polls closed.  

By the time she stepped onstage around 8:30 p.m., Trump was leading her by about 20 points - with Haley hovering just below 40 percent - as returns continued to come in.

That number, she told a cheering crowd, signaled enough support for her to carry on.  

'There are huge numbers of voters in our Republican primaries who are saying they want an alternative,' she said. 'I said earlier this week that no matter what happens in South Carolina I would continue to run for president - I'm a woman of my word.'

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley told supporters Saturday night in Charleston that she was staying in the presidential race - despite being trounced by former President Donald Trump in her home state of South Carolina

In her speech Saturday night, Haley pointed to how she was getting around 40 percent of the vote, which she said was enough to carry on. Shortly after that her total moved down to 38 percent

Republican presidential candidate greets supporters as she arrives at her Charleston, South Carolina primary night party. She told the crowd that the approximately 40 percent of the vote she received in her home state was enough to carry on 

Haley started her address to supporters by talking about how special it was to vote alongside her mother, who she pushed in a wheelchair to their polling place in a gated community in Kiawah Island, South Carolina just before lunchtime Saturday. 

The former U.N. ambassador called it 'very special' that her mother 'could go with me and cast a ballot for her daughter as president of the United States' after facing sexism in her birth country of India.

Haley also said she was able to speak to her deployed husband Michael this morning as South Carolina voters headed to the polls. 

'His support has been amazing,' she gushed.

While Trump didn't mention her once in his victory address, she acknowledged him.

'I want to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory and I want to thank the people of South Carolina for using the power of your voice,' she said. 'No matter the results, I love the people of our state. I love what we accomplished together and I love how we've united during our worst challenges and tragedies.'

She said South Carolinians were family and 'families are honest with each other.' 

'And that's what I'll do now,' she said. 

'What I saw today was South Carolina's frustration with our country's direction. I've seen that same frustration nationwide. I share it. I feel it to my core. I couldn't be more worried about America. It seems like our country is falling apart,' the 2024 hopeful expressed. 'But here's the thing, America will come apart if we make the wrong choices.'

'This has never been about me or my political future. We need to beat Joe Biden in November. I don't believe Donald Trump can beat Joe Biden. Nearly every day Trump drives people away. Including with his comments just yesterday,' she continued. 

During the Black Conservative Federation's Honors Gala in Columbia, South Carolina Friday night, Trump suggested that black voters liked him more now that he's posed for a mugshot and got indicted 91 times. 

The ex-president said like black Americans 'I'm being discriminated against.' 

After she voted earlier Saturday, Haley commented that what Trump said was 'disgusting.' 

During her Saturday night address, Haley noted that she had come away with the support of about 40 percent of Republicans, adding 'that's about what we got in New Hampshire too.' 

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley waves to supporters as she arrives to address a crowd in Charleston, South Carolina, telling them she'll stay in the presidential race despite losing her home state to former President Donald Trump 

In last month's Granite State primary, she received 43.2 percent of the vote to Trump's 54.3 percent. 

With about 60 percent of the vote counted in South Carolina, she had dropped to 38 percent.

'I'm an accountant,' she told her supporters - something she often tells voters on the campaign trail. 'I know 40 percent is not 50 percent.' 

'I also know 40 percent is not some tiny group,' she added. 'I'm not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden.'

Haley pointed out that South Carolina was only the fourth state to have voted.

'In the next 10 days another 21 states and territories will speak. They have a right to a real choice, not a Soviet-style election with only one candidate,' she said. 'We can't afford four more years of Biden's failures or Trump's lack of focus.' 

Haley said she'd press ahead to Michigan, which holds a primary on Tuesday and then to the Super Tuesday states, which hold primaries on March 5.

'I'm grateful that tdoay is not the end of our story,' she told the crowd.

Ahead of the primary, some of the biggest names in her state's Republican Party had endorsed Trump.

That included South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, a previous 2024 rival, who backed Trump ahead of last month's New Hampshire primary - despite Haley appointing Scott to the U.S. Senate while she served as governor. 

South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace also decided to endorse Trump, despite the fact that he endorsed her Republican primary rival in 2022 after she criticized him over January 6. 

At that time Haley came to her aid, campaigning to keep Mace in her Charleston-area Congressional seat. 

Mace repaid the favor by calling Haley 'China's favorite governor' during a campaign stop in early February.

'And in fact, if she had her way, South Carolina would be manufacturing spy balloons right here in our state,' Mace said. 

Nikki Haley supporter Jamil N. Jaffer reacts after Donald Trump was quickly declared the winner of the South Carolina Republican primary at the former governor's campaign event Saturday night in Charleston

The former U.N. ambassador's supporters danced in front of the jumbotron as former President Donald Trump touted his victory in Haley's home state

DailyMail.com found that Haley did get some help Saturday from Democrats, independents and Libertarians, hoping to stall Trump's rapid ascent to the November ballot. 

'I'm a Democrat, flat out,' 54-year-old social worker Cynthia Plasters said as she voted alongside her husband at the Hunley Park Elementary School in North Charleston.

She said she voted in Saturday's Republican primary 'because I don't want Trump to be on the ballot, that is exactly why.' 

'Because I hate Trump. I hate Trump. I think he is a criminal and I think he's corrupt in every way and I think he's awful,' Plasters said. 

Her husband Chad, 52, also voted for Haley but is an independent. 

He chose the former South Carolina governor not simply to stop the ex-president but because his values 'align more with Nikki than with Trump.' 

Stephen Miller, 42, who works at a sushi restaurant in Mount Pleasant, said he usually votes for Libertarian candidates but backed Haley on Saturday. 

Haley (left) is seen assisting her mother Raj (right) at the polling place Saturday on Kiawah Island. She spoke to reporters about how 'blessed we are to be in this country' after watching her mother cast a ballot for her, a female candidate, in a U.S. presidential primary 

Nikki Haley heads to her polling place Saturday on Kiawah Island, South Carolina with mom Raj, son Nalin, daughter Rena and her son-in-law Joshua as she braces for a potential loss to former President Donald Trump in her home state

'I just think it's time for a new direction. Some younger leadership. And I think she would be less divisive in kind of getting the country back together instead of two polar opposites,' Miller said. 

Shelby Joffrion, 43, of North Charleston who works for the city of Charleston government has voted in past Republican primaries but considers herself a moderate and said with prompting that she was a 'never Trumper.'

On Saturday she went for Haley because 'she's inspiring to women.'

'I feel like women like me we have a voice and she's making me feel like we're heard and conversely I also don't like the other majority candidate - he's caused a lot of chaos and hurt in our country.'  

Joffrion said if Haley fails to nab the nomination she'll likely vote Democratic in November. 

'I'll probably support Biden,' she told DailyMail.com.