Nikki Haley to suspend campaign after Trump’s near-sweep on Super Tuesday — but will she endorse ex-prez?
Nikki Haley dropping out of presidential race
Nikki Haley is set to suspend her Republican presidential bid Wednesday following another series of defeats on Super Tuesday, sources told The Post.
The former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador is expected to formally drop out of the race during a press conference at 10 a.m. Wednesday in her home state of South Carolina, according to sources familiar with the decision.
She will not endorse former President Donald Trump but will encourage him to earn the support of those who had backed her, the sources said.
The expected announcement — first revealed by the Wall Street Journal — comes after Haley was only victorious in Vermont during Super Tuesday’s primaries, with Trump beating her in 14 other states.
She made no public appearances after spending the night huddled with staff watching returns near her home.
Haley’s withdrawal effectively hands the Republican nomination to Trump, whose cabinet she served on from 2017 to 2018.
She had repeatedly criticized the former president on the campaign trail and claimed she was the only Republican who could beat President Biden in the general election
Haley often touted that she was especially popular among moderates and college-educated voters, a demographic that may play a pivotal role come November.
Her campaign, however, failed to gain enough momentum to properly challenge the former president, with Haley’s only other victory coming on Sunday when she won the Washington, DC, primary.
Following Haley’s defeat on Tuesday, campaign spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas warned that the GOP was far from unified under Trump, referencing Haley’s Vermont win.
“Today, in state after state, there remains a large block of Republican primary voters who are expressing deep concerns about Donald Trump,” Perez-Cubas. “That is not the unity our party needs for success.”
Trump had notably declared that Haley’s donors would be permanently banned from his “Make America Great Again” movement, and it remains unclear if he will clear that ban if she endorses him.
With Post wires
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