After experiencing a challenging setback in the Republican primary in Nevada on Tuesday, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley downplayed her second-place finish by stating that she came in second to “none of these candidates.”

This marks her third consecutive loss in the current presidential race.

Haley emphasized that her campaign is now focusing on larger states and brushed off the idea of actively competing against former President Donald Trump in Nevada.

The state is conducting two distinct nominating contests: the primary she participated in, which did not allocate delegates for the GOP nomination, and the party-run caucuses on Thursday, which will determine delegate allocation.

“We always knew Nevada was a scam,” Haley said on Fox Business on Wednesday. “Trump had it rigged from the very beginning. There are multiple press stories on that. … They wanted us to pay $55,000 to just participate in their caucus. So we didn’t spend a day or $1 there. We weren’t even worried about it.”

In earlier statements, Haley’s campaign labeled the caucuses as “rigged,” a claim consistently refuted by the Nevada Republican Party, ABC News reported.

Speaking on Fox Business, Haley clarified that her primary attention is now directed towards South Carolina, Michigan, and Super Tuesday, scheduled for March 5, where numerous states will conduct simultaneous voting.

Written by B.C. Begley