Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley told a crowd of a couple hundred Colorado supporters Tuesday that she’s still running so younger generations can have hope for the future.

“Imagine a country where we can strongly disagree, but we don’t have to hate each other,” Haley said. “Imagine a country where our kids don’t have stress and anxiety, but they have hope for the future. That’s the country I want for your kids and mine.” 

The former governor of South Carolina appeared at a rally that drew a crowd of voters to Wings over the Rockies Exploration of Flight in Centennial, where she focused on changes she’d push for if elected as well as the dangers the country would face if former President Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner in the race, returned to the presidency.

Haley said Trump put the U.S. into more debt in four years than any other president, adding $8 trillion to the country’s debts. She also decried Trump’s rhetoric around Russia and said the president should voice support for the nation’s allies, not those who threaten them. 

“We need a president who understands the No. 1 job is to prevent war, period,” Haley said. “America needs to go back to understanding what it means to have peace through strength. We should never be so arrogant to think America doesn’t need friends.” 

Haley mentioned states like Michigan and Minnesota that previously had Republican control, but have since seen Democrats take over the governorship and state legislatures after Trump came into the picture. 

“Now I’m in Colorado, and I’m looking at the fact that no Republican has gotten over 45% statewide since Donald Trump was president,” Haley said. 

At one point during the rally, members of the crowd started chanting “don’t quit” to show their support for Haley despite primary results so far. Haley just lost the primary in her home state, and in Nevada, she lost to the “none of these candidates” option on the ballot. 

Suzanne Staiert, a former deputy secretary of state and former Republican candidate for Colorado state Senate, introduced Haley and said she couldn’t imagine “a better candidate to lead us out of this abyss” than Haley.

“I’m just so excited to have a candidate that is going to concentrate on actual issues instead of settling personal scores,” Staiert said. “A candidate who is not going to get caught up in all the drama and make this her family industry. A candidate that cares about our children and cares about our future and is running because she wants us to have a choice.”

Haley said she wants to bolster the middle class to stop the rich from getting richer and the poor from getting poorer. She also said she wants to make tax cuts for small businesses permanent and hold Congress accountable to create a balanced budget on time without risk of a government shutdown. Haley, who is married to a combat veteran, also said the federal government needs to improve its support for veterans. 

Haley touted a South Carolina immigration policy she signed into law as governor that faced legal challenges from the federal government. Federal judges blocked certain parts of the policy, but Haley still considers the legislation a win and said she wants to grow the concept nationally. She also said she’d want to defund sanctuary cities.

“Denver has had more illegal immigrants come here, more than any other city in America per capita,” Haley said. “We can’t wait one more day to pass a strong immigration bill. We’ve got to get it done. Congress needs to do their job, and Trump needs to stay out of it, period.”

About 40,000 migrants have arrived in Denver since the end of 2022.

Gary Schnell drove about an hour and a half from Eaton to attend the rally. He wore a Haley-branded shirt that says “barred permanently,” which is a reference to a Trump comment saying anyone who donates to Haley’s team is “permanently barred from the MAGA camp.” 

“I’ve been a Republican all my life until about two years ago when I quit the party because that lying, immoral a**hole got the nomination and now controls the Republican Party,” Schnell said. “So I have to do something else. I’d like to go back to the Republican Party someday, and if this woman is nominated by the Republicans, I’ll be first in line.”

Schnell said the GOP is no longer a political party, but is rather “a cult” devoted to supporting Trump. He said the Colorado Republican Party’s move to endorse Trump in the primary is “totally out of line” and “contrary to their own, fundamental beliefs.” 

The state GOP endorsed Trump in early January.

While Schnell said he supports Haley and already voted for her, he said he’s “a realist” and doesn’t see her winning next week’s Colorado presidential primary election. He said he’s not looking forward to seeing the results of the primary. 

“I think it’s great that somebody with her stamina, understanding, perseverance, will stick in there and call out Donald Trump for what he really is,” Schnell said. 

Gretchen Anderson came to the rally from Parker to support Haley because she focuses on what she actually wants to get done in office, “not putting down other people,” Anderson said. She said Haley is polished and intelligent, and that she’s more impressed by Haley every time she hears her speak. 

Anderson said she wished the Colorado Republican Party would be more open-minded instead of backing Trump. She said she’d go home after the rally and reach out to friends to encourage their participation in the primary.

“This was nowhere near a big enough crowd,” Anderson said. “Even though Colorado is generally a Democratic state, I know that the south Denver metro for sure has a lot of Republicans, and I don’t see them.” 

Haley said Republican voters can’t complain about what happens in the general election if they don’t participate in the primary. She said she doesn’t see the country surviving another four years under Trump’s leadership, noting that all he does is talk about himself.

“This is not personal for me with Donald Trump. I voted for Donald Trump twice,” Haley said. “I was proud to serve America and his administration. But the truth of the matter is chaos follows him. Everywhere he goes, chaos follows him.”

The primary election in Colorado is March 5, known as Super Tuesday, when 15 states conduct their presidential primary elections.