US Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley strongly criticized her competitor, Donald Trump, for making what she deemed as "disgusting" remarks about Black Americans.

Trump, anticipated to secure a straightforward victory over Haley in the upcoming nominating contest in South Carolina, insinuated that Black voters favor him due to their ability to relate to his legal challenges.

"It's disgusting. But that's what happens when he goes off the teleprompter. That's the chaos that comes with Donald Trump," Haley stated at a polling station in her home state.

"That's the offensiveness that's going to happen every day between now and the general election, which is why I continue to say Donald Trump cannot win a general election," she stressed.

On Friday evening, Trump delivered the comments during a speech to Black conservatives. The 77-year-old, currently facing four criminal indictments, including charges of conspiracy and vote rigging, implied that "Black people like me because they have been hurt so badly and discriminated against, and they viewed me as I'm being discriminated against."

Trump says black people love him because he's a criminal.

I told you guys, this is what they think of us. pic.twitter.com/1h1dSNz3Xz

— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) February 24, 2024

He also asserted that his police photo, captured at a Georgia jail, is more valued by Black voters than by any other demographic.

"The mug shot, we've all seen the mug shot, and you know who embraced it more than anybody else? The Black population. It's incredible," he said.
  
Trump's comments faced backlash from members of both the Republican and Democratic parties.

"Trump is showing Black voters exactly what he thinks of them -- and his ideas to win them over are as corny and racist as he is," said Democratic Party spokesperson Sarafina Chitika.

The big picture

On Saturday, voters in South Carolina are making their choices between former President Donald Trump and their former governor, Nikki Haley. The polls are set to close at 7 pm (local time), and once the votes are counted, the winner will be announced. Nikki Haley plans to address the public upon the declaration of the winner, while Donald Trump is hosting a watch party in South Carolina and is expected to speak there.

South Carolina employs an open primary system, allowing voters from any party to participate in the Republican primary, provided they haven't already voted in the Democratic primary, which President Joe Biden won on Feb. 3.

As South Carolinians participate in the voting process, recent polling data from USA Today and Suffolk University indicates that Trump holds a substantial lead of approximately 30 points over Haley, diminishing any prospects of her leveraging a home-court advantage.

Read more: Nikki Haley lashes out at Trump, DeSantis during CNN town hall