Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley urged her delegates on Tuesday, July 9th to support her opponent in the primaries, Donald Trump, at the upcoming Republican National Convention.
In a statement on the 9th, Haley described the convention as a “moment of Republican unity,” emphasizing that the elected president must be able to “ensure border security, reduce debt, and get our economy back on track.” She announced, “I encourage my delegates to support Donald Trump in Milwaukee next week.”
Haley served as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations during Trump’s administration and officially announced her candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential primaries in February 2023, only to withdraw in March 2024.
In May of this year, Haley stated that despite Trump’s imperfections on many issues, including foreign policy, she would still vote for him in the election.
Haley’s 97 delegates come from various states, including four delegates from the battleground state of Michigan.
She won the primaries in Vermont and the District of Columbia, securing delegate seats in other states as well. Her campaign attracted support from women, independents, and some deep-pocketed donors on Wall Street.
Haley’s spokesperson, Chaney Denton, stated that Haley was not invited to the Republican convention, but she did not mind. He said, “Trump should have the convention he desires. She has clearly stated she will vote for him and wishes him all the best.”
According to a report by The Epoch Times on May 25th, after Haley announced her support for Trump, he expressed confidence that she would join his team in some capacity. Trump said, “I think she’ll join our team because we have a lot of similar views and ideas. I appreciate what she said. You know, we had a very tough race, very tough. But she’s a very capable person, and I believe she will definitely join our team in some form.”