Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley announced her intention to vote for Donald Trump, her former rival and boss, in the 2024 US presidential election. Haley, who previously served as Trump’s United Nations ambassador, was the last significant contender to exit the party primary in early March. At that time, she refrained from endorsing him directly, instead urging Trump to earn the support of her followers.
In her first public remarks since withdrawing from the race, Haley acknowledged on Wednesday that Trump “has not been perfect,” but contrasted this with her view that President Joe Biden “has been a catastrophe.” Haley’s campaign had attracted significant support from anti-Trump Republicans. Notably, over two months after ending her campaign, she secured more than 20% of the vote in the Maryland primary election held last week.
The Biden campaign has made efforts to appeal to Haley’s supporters, promoting a message of inclusiveness and arguing that Trump has consistently alienated her voter base. Speaking at the conservative Hudson Institute think tank in Washington DC, Haley reiterated her criticisms of both major parties but directed most of her harshest remarks at the Democratic incumbent. She accused Biden of betraying Israel, failing to deter the invasion of Ukraine, and offering Iran “nothing but cash and time.”
While affirming her support for Trump’s candidacy, Haley stopped short of urging her supporters to follow suit. She emphasized her previous stance from her suspension speech, urging Trump to actively reach out to her voter base rather than assuming their automatic support. “I stand by what I said in my suspension speech,” she stated. “Trump would be smart to reach out to the millions of people who voted for me and continue to support me, and not assume that they’re just going to be with him, and I genuinely hope he does that.”