Former Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley has announced her intention to cast her vote for Donald Trump, her former adversary and employer, in the upcoming 2024 US presidential election.
Haley, who previously served as Trump’s United Nations ambassador, exited the party primary race in early March without formally endorsing him, instead urging him to earn the support of her millions of backers. In her first public remarks since withdrawing from the race, she acknowledged Trump’s imperfections but lambasted President Joe Biden as a “catastrophe.” Although Haley attracted considerable support from anti-Trump Republican voters during her presidential bid, her candidacy continues to gain traction even after her departure, securing over 20% of the vote in multiple state primaries in recent weeks.
The Biden campaign is actively courting these “Haley Republicans,” a demographic comprising moderate and college-educated independent voters who could potentially influence the election outcome.
Meanwhile, Trump, who has previously derided Haley as a “bird brain” and was irked by her extended primary challenge, has dismissed speculation regarding her candidacy for vice president.
Speaking before an audience at the conservative Hudson Institute think-tank, Haley reiterated her criticisms of both parties but directed her strongest condemnation towards the incumbent president. She cited Biden’s handling of various issues, including the situation in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Israel, as reasons for her decision to support Trump, whom she acknowledged as imperfect but preferable to Biden’s “catastrophic” leadership.