Of the South Carolina in the South Carolina capital and across the state, the First Southern showdown, the 2024 republican president ial race, is now underway. Voters choosing between the undefeated gop front runner donald trump and their former governor nikki haley is vowing to fight trump to the bitter end. Welcome to cnns live special coverage of the South CarolinaRepublican Primary. Im Anderson Cooper and im jake tapper in the cnn election center. There is less than one hour left for voters in the palmetto state to cast their ballots. Donald trump and nikki haley, of course, going headtohead on haleys home turf, raising this thanks for her campaign and making their fight perhaps even more combative. Trump is counting on another decisive win that would bring the former president and closer to clinching the republican nomination, even as hes juggling Court Appearances and indictments, he faces his first criminal trial next month. This could be haleys last chance to slow trumps March Toward Becoming the nominee, the selfproclaimed underdog is hoping to beat expectations tonight but she says shes going to stay in the race no matter what the outcome today the fight is all about winning delegates of course, 50 delegates are on the line in South Carolina. This is the most of any single contest yes now heading into this evening, trump leads haley on the delegate caroll. He has 63. She has 17, both still a long way from the 1,200 needed to lock up the gop nomination. The first results are going to start coming in once voting ends, thats at the top of the hour, and that will be our first chance to potentially project a winner are corresponding monitor on the scene were votes are being cast and counted. And at trump and Haley Campaign headquarters in South Carolina, columbia and charleston. Lets begin with cnns Kristen Holmes, whos at Trump Headquarters in colombia. And kristen, what is the thinking inside trump world about tonights fight against haley . Jake will decide the back of donald trump was outpaced by the game haley on the Campaign Trail was outspent by any leanne that this is south haleys home state. She was the former South Carolina governor. They are expecting a resounding win. And if the polls hold that wind would look Something Like 30 points and thats what theyre happy. Theyre hoping for. They want a definitive win for a number of reasons, as you said, to push him toward the actual Delegate Math that would make it become the presumptive gop nominee. That would make a big cup gop nominee, sir. Thank you, guys can hear me. Im gonna move it up a little bit closer to me but on top of that, its also about donors. They want some of those Holdout Donors to come around. They want some of those republicans whove been sitting on the sidelines hoping that there was a trump alternative to get on board with the former president. Theyre also hoping that a definitive win would put extra pressure on the former South Carolina governor the drop out of the race, despite the fact, of course, as you noted, haley has said she is not going to drop out until every primary vote is cast. Now, they want to pin it to a General Election. They want to start using resources to pivot to a General Election to attack President Joe Biden. But as you noted, its going to be a very long, several months because donald trump inbetween having several of these Campaign Events and several primary still, its going to be in and out of courtrooms, something weve learned is going to happen again next week. So as he is trying to pivot to general, ledger now shes trying to get through these primaries. Again, all of those legal cases continued to loom over the former president. All right. Thank you so much, kristen, now lets go to cnns brian todd at a voting site in mount pleasant, South Carolina, just outside charleston. Brian, what kind of turnout have you been seeing well, jake, its been a very dynamic day here and dont let this scene behind me a belie that because there had been lines out the door all day long. We have had a new influx of voters coming in over the past few minutes and theyre coming out right now. No lines here right now. But again, this could be last hour crush of voters coming in here before the polls close in less than an hour. What were told here by the Precinct Chair is that more than 2000 voters have come through here. This is a place where there are six Precincts Voting in one location, gene more of excuse me, jenny more Elementary School here in mount pleasant, one of them is bill bell. Bills kind enough to talk to because i got to have full disclosure here, folks bills had a rough day on the rugby field because he coaches a high school womens rugby team who didnt have their best day on the field, but still, bill has shown up here. But i got to talk to you more bill about your vote. You voted twice for nikki haley as governor, but you voted for donald trump here as president. Tell us why youve switched well, i havent switched still, so like nikki. Right . She was my governor, but donald trump did a great job as president. If you take his radical rhetoric, rhetoric away and you take away the tweetsgo things were accomplished during his presidency. Heck of lot better than what weve had the last three years. So a return havent donald trump come back in is just going to help the economy get the border jordan. Hes not going to try to send anybody over the foreign wars. As you know, donald trump has a few legal cases pending against him. If he is convicted in any of those cases, would that change your mind about no, because its all well, yes all right . Well, thank you for talking to us. Thanks. Russia, you coming by and good luck. Next time on the field. Thanks a lot. Okay. Were going to show you something here. Now were not allowed to film the voting alive inside. So but what i can do is kind of pure through the window here, our Photojournalist Talk is going to peer through the window there. You can see people casting their ballots through the window. There last minute of voters coming in before the polls close. And then ill take you over here very quickly, guys, just to show you what theyre going to do as far as the tabulation. Theyre going to tabulate it on these strips of paper that look like giant cvs receipts. And then theyre going to post it right here, like these two things, its going to look a lot like this. Were going to be able to go inside and less than an hour and show them tabulating the vote, which they will then post right here. Jake, back to you. Yeah, thats not a giant cvs receipt. Thats just a standard cvs receipt in my mind, brian todd, thanks so much. Lets go to john king at the magic wall here. John, as a bilbao, the rugby coach noted nikki haley has won South Carolina twice, but thats 2010 2014, since then, donald trump has won South Carolina three times twice. 16 primary, 2016 general 2020 General Election. No primary than he was the incumbent, which just reinforces i cant i started on the national map for a reason. Trump won. Trump won again. Trump won again. Trump is three. No, if nikki haley is going to stop donald trump, her home state is the best perhaps last opportunity and yet all the polling coming in, people are voting today in some ways, put the polls aside, but we do know that data and it tells us trump had a giant lead heading into election day. So as you watch the map, what are you looking for when we do start to get results, right . So im going to start down here in charleston because this is Charleston County. Its the Third Largest county in the state. Its along the coste. This is your more affluent, youre more moderate republican some military retirees down there as well. This is where nikki haley must, mustwin if shes going to have any chance in the state just because of the nature of the state although i just talked to two voters down in this county and both of them for haley, who also say theres a lot of trump talked down in. There was just texting with them before we came on the air. So well watch how Charles Kristen comes in another place to watch is up here horry county. This is where myrtle beach is. If any, republicans are going to have second thoughts about donald trump because he refuses to criticize vladimir putin, because he refuses to be tough when it comes to russia. A lot of Military Tradition here. It used to be in South Carolina. You won the republican race by being for lower taxes, less government, maybe prolife on abortion and for a Strong Military and against russia or the soviet union will see thats a test there. The first place though, i started on the coast, jake, but then you look up here. This is the bible belt area of South Carolina. Greenville is the largest county in the state, right here. Number one, about 10 of the population. Nikki haley did very well here when she ran for governor. But i think you made the salient point you say its her home state, but since she was last on the ballot, it has become trumps Republican Party. And the decades since. All right. I mean, thats a long time. Exactly right. And i was there a couple of weeks ago and you get a lot of what bill just told brian todd. I like her. She was a good governor shed make a great Vice President if she ran him for years, maybe id think about it, but im for donald trump you just hear it over and over go. Are they like her . They just love him. All right, more on this in a second, were getting an early read on whos turning out to vote in South Carolina today. Lets go to David Chalian with our exit polls. David, what are you learning about the voters that turned out today . Well, jake, what were seeing in these preliminary exit polls in these numbers will change as the night goes on and as we get for surveys in, is that this is a Republican Primary electorate that looks more like the Iowa Caucuses than it does the New Hampshire primary. Heres what i mean. Are you part of the Maga Movement . 45 of voters in the South CarolinaRepublican Party primary say yes, theyre part of the Maga Movement. 49 say no, thats similar to what we saw hi, well, in New Hampshire, it was only a third that consider themselves part of the Maga Movement and look at party id. This is critical 69 say they identify as republican, 21 identify as independent. That number in New Hampshire was 41 . And that is why nikki haley was able to do so well hello, New Hampshire, even though she still lost it by 11 points. So the fact that there are far fewer independence here is a problem for nikki haley. And of course, we checked in on how are you going to feel with the results here, if indeed trump wins the nomination 72 of Republican Voters say theyre going to be satisfied 27 say dissatisfied i will note among haley voters 76 will be dissatisfied if trumps the nominee. Now, what about nikki haley, if she wins the nomination, 41 say they would be satisfied overall, those voting in the South CarolinaRepublican Primary today, 57 , nearly 6. 10, will be dissatisfied hi, if nikki haley is the nominee, j. All right. David chalian fascinating stuff. Well, if i were donald trump, dana bash, abby, phillip, and manu raju, i would look at those Exit Poll Numbers and i think i might even be having a better night than i thought i was going to have. Yeah. And look, theres no question in anybodys mind either in the Trump Campaign or in the Haley Campaign . Or in anybody pretty much on planet earth right now, who doesnt think that he is going to have a good night in South Carolina. You hit the nail on the head. The question is, what is the percentage going to be . And weve already heard, though, despite that in most contests, if somebody loses, not once, not twice, but three times, particularly in their home state, it would be curtain call and im gonna go on and figure out what im going to do next. Shes determined to stay in this. Shes has money. She has im told shes getting more and more stubborn and frankly angry at the things that donald trump is saying about her saying about her husband well see how long that lasts, but for now, that is very much your plan. But whats the rationale going to be for staying . Yeah, thats gonna be the big challenge and the question if she does lose by some 30 points as the polls are saying this is a very trumpy electorate in her home very bad sign for her. What is she going to say when she comes out to explain their thinking are staying in a race where shes gotten wiped out state after state and its just simply not going to get easier. And she spent outspend trump by about 15 million. Thats incredible. South carolina trump barely lifted a finger and he is underway potentially to have a huge night tonight. Yeah. I mean, trump person. Were told me recently they barely invested in South Carolina in terms of money. They really dont want to have to do that with any of these primaries. Thats why they want this thing to be over. But i am hearing a lot of questions about what is the end game for nikki haley and all of this way . There can she win a where can she overperform . Where can she show that theres a reason for her to still be in it. One of the fascinating things that i see in these exit polls as chalian was going through them, is that this electorate, not just in South Carolina, but also in New Hampshire and iowa, even voters who may not consider them solves to be maga. They may not consider themselves to be election deniers. Many of those voters are still voting for donald trump. And that is what has made it so difficult for anybody who is not named donald trump to have leeway with Republican Voters right now. Theyre just not all that interested in alternatives, which is not what we hear from so many republicans. I dont know the Cristina Nunez of the world over the, over the last six months, who kept saying, oh, republicans are hungry for an alternative while the electrodes so far has not shown us one of the things thats interesting for those who out there who have a historical knowledge of South Carolina politics is South Carolina can be really dirty we all remember i remember 24, 24 years ago, john mccain beat George W Bush in New Hampshire. They went down to South Carolina and it was dirty. All sorts of below the radar innuendo allegations really, really nasty stuff donald trump im not saying that everything has been aboveboard, mainly because donald trump has said some on stage in front of a microphone and a crowd, some pretty outrageous things about nikki haley and her husband, but i dont i havent heard anything about that. I havent heard any really dirty, ugly, nasty politics because there hasnt been the need to do it. I just say maybe its also because it in decades past, the candidate would not have been doing the right. Its okay. Its like the candidate, not usually the person who is saying that that nikki haleys husband, who is over in a war zone saying negative things about that. I mean, trump has changed the game because he is the guy whos slinging the mud now. And so they dont need a swift boat yet for trump could have gotten worse and worse. It could have hours and its not i think this is what youre suggesting, jake. Its not as if the Trump Campaign doesnt have an ipo book because its, theyre not theyre not above and they havent because thats what every campaign has. They havent really used at that much a little bit, but they havent really used that much because they havent seen nastier said was said about nikki haley when she was running for governor and running for reelection. But saying any of it should be part of our political discourse. But i think they felt like they didnt need to do it. Its just an observation. I dont know whats gonna happen. Shes the one who has been far more negative about trump over the last few weeks, really dialing up the rhetoric, going after him in a way that she didnt as much in previous states and just that that egg the p