Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley has announced her withdrawal from the Republican presidential race. The decision solidifies former President Donald Trump as the sole nominee for the Republican party, setting the stage for a potential Trump-Biden rematch in the November 2024 election.
Nikki Haley made her decision public in Charleston, South Carolina, following a series of setbacks in GOP nominating contests on Super Tuesday. Despite her exit, sources suggest that Haley is not expected to endorse Trump immediately. Instead, she is challenging the former president to earn the support of her backers, keeping the possibility of endorsing him before the November election open.
Having been the last of the 12 prominent candidates defeated by Trump in the GOP primary, Haley had started directing criticisms towards Trump’s mental fitness in her recent speeches, drawing parallels between him and President Joe Biden as “grumpy old men.”
Throughout her campaign, Haley focused on presenting herself as a “new generational leader” challenging the traditional political norms. Despite her political experience and recognition, she faced challenges in New Hampshire and her home state of South Carolina. Despite winning the primary in Washington, DC just before Super Tuesday, it proved insufficient.
Haley’s efforts to distinguish herself from Trump’s vision for the Republican Party included expressing concerns about his commitment to the Constitution and labeling his likely nomination as “suicide for our country.” Despite attracting sizable crowds, she consistently rejected rumors of a third-party bid, emphasizing that her goal was not solely to oppose Trump but to voice concerns about both former and current presidents.
