WASHINGTON: Republican former UN ambassador Nikki Haley ended her White House campaign Wednesday, declining to endorse former US president Donald Trump but calling on him to earn the support of independents and moderates who backed her in the primary.
In a televised address from Charleston, South Carolina, Nikki Haley acknowledged her inability to gather enough support to challenge former President Donald Trump for the party’s nomination.
Haley refrained from endorsing Trump but urged him to reach out to moderates and independents who did not support him during the primary.
Despite winning only one state on “Super Tuesday” and failing to pose a significant challenge to Trump’s nomination, Haley expressed gratitude for the support she received across the country.
The 52-year-old, who gained prominence after her tenure as ambassador to the United Nations under the Trump administration, positioned herself as a conservative alternative to Trump’s perceived chaos, aiming for the 2024 Republican White House nomination.
Nikki Haley Stresses Allowing Americans’ Voices to be Heard
Haley emphasized her commitment to allowing Americans’ voices to be heard but acknowledged the need to suspend her campaign at this time, stating, “I have no regrets.”
Trump emerged victorious in Republican nominating contests across a dozen states, securing a decisive lead over Haley, his sole remaining competitor. Despite Haley’s lone win in Vermont, Trump’s commanding performance on Super Tuesday virtually guarantees his nomination for a third consecutive presidential run, despite facing various legal challenges.
Both Trump and Biden wasted no time in directing their attention towards each other following the election results. Trump, in a victory speech at his Mar-A-Lago estate in Florida, criticized Biden’s immigration policies, labeling him as the “worst president” in history. Biden, in response, reiterated his portrayal of Trump as a threat to American democracy.
While Biden was expected to secure victory in Democratic contests, a protest vote in Minnesota, driven by activists critical of his stance on Israel, yielded unexpectedly strong results. Despite this, Biden emerged victorious in Minnesota and 14 other states, except for a loss in American Samoa’s caucus.
The prospect of another showdown between Trump, 77, and Biden, 81, has garnered mixed reactions among Americans, with both candidates facing low approval ratings. Immigration and the economy emerged as primary concerns for Republican voters, with a majority expressing support for deporting illegal immigrants, aligning with Trump’s hardline stance on immigration.
