Haley exits GOP race, says it’s now up to Trump to win non-supporters
By Carl Samson
After failing to pull enough votes to her side on Super Tuesday, Nikki Haley has suspended her bid for the White House with a note that will likely prove crucial in November’s general election.
What happened: Trump is on track to become the presumptive GOP nominee after clinching at least 784 delegates on Super Tuesday, the day when most of the 1,215 delegates needed to secure the Republican nomination are up for grabs. Haley, by comparison, only won 48.
What she’s saying: The former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina governor suspended her campaign on Wednesday. She congratulated Trump but did not endorse him, suggesting that he needs to work to win those who did not rally behind him.
“It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond who did not support him. And I hope he does that,” Haley said. “At its best politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away — and our conservative cause badly needs more people. This is now his time for choosing.”
Why this matters: Haley, who branded herself as a “new generation” candidate, found a significant level of support among independents and more moderate Republicans. These voters, according to some observers, will be important and could even decide the general election.
What Trump and Biden are saying: Following Haley’s exit, both Trump and President Joe Biden appealed to her supporters, albeit in contrasting ways. Trump lashed out at Haley one final time on Truth Social, noting that she “got TROUNCED” on Super Tuesday and accusing many of her voters as coming from “Radical Left Democrats.” He then, in the same post, invited her supporters to “join the greatest movement in the history of our Nation.”
Biden, on the other hand, praised Haley for having the “courage” to run against Trump and “speaking the truth” about him. Biden then invited her supporters to join his campaign, acknowledging their differences but expressing hopes in finding common ground, particularly on issues such as preserving NATO and standing up to the U.S.’ adversaries.
Making history: Haley, who is Indian American, was the last candidate to stand between Trump and the GOP’s nomination. On Sunday, she won the primary in Washington, D.C., cementing her as the first woman to win a Republican presidential primary in U.S. history. She also won Vermont on Tuesday.
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