OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who has yet to win a 2024 GOP primary against her one-time boss, Donald Trump, has finally snagged a couple of endorsements from two Republican senators, only they are not likely to help her much with the party’s conservative base.
Haley picked up endorsements from ‘moderate’ Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine late last week.
“I’m proud to endorse Gov. Nikki Haley,” Murkowski said, according to the Daily Caller. “America needs someone with the right values, vigor, and judgment to serve as our next President — and in this race, there is no one better than her. Nikki will be a strong leader and uphold the ideals of the Republican Party while serving as a President for all Americans.”
Haley responded by saying that Murkowski “represents the best of Alaska,” according to NBC News.
“As president, I will fight to make Alaskans — and all Americans — proud by restoring fiscal sanity, energy dominance, and limited government,” she added.
Collins gave her endorsement to Haley in an interview with the Bangor Daily News.
“She has the energy, intellect, and temperament that we need to lead our country in these very tumultuous times,” Collins told the paper, which noted the senator “has a complex relationship with Maine’s Republican base.”
Several county GOP committees censured Collins after she voted to convict him following his second impeachment.
Neither woman supported Trump’s successful 2016 candidacy.
Trump, meanwhile, has the endorsement of 32 Senate and at least 134 House Republicans, according to The Hill.
Last week, as Trump continued to rack up victories against Haley, he finally reached a point where he’s no longer focused on the former South Carolina governor.
Following his victory over Haley in her home state of South Carolina earlier this month, Trump told Fox News that he’s not sure Haley is “even really in the race” at this point, adding he is now hyper-focused on beating President Joe Biden in the fall.
“I was honored that I received the largest vote in the history of the state — I’m with Senator Lindsey Graham right now, and he just told me we received the largest vote by double — we beat the last record,” Trump told the network. “So that’s a great compliment to all of the people and to making America great again.”
Asked if he thought Haley should now drop out of the race, Trump said he’s “really not thinking about that… I’m not thinking about it.”
“I’m really thinking about we have to beat Joe Biden,” told the outlet. “I don’t know if she’s in the race at all because, you know, I have set records in every single state. I’m not sure that she’s really in the race.”
Trump secured dozens more delegates from caucuses in Missouri, Michigan, and Idaho on Saturday. And before defeating Haley in her home state last month, Trump dominated other primaries and caucuses in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“I’m very honored by the elections,” he said. “We’re setting records in every single state.”
During a Wednesday interview on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” the host and his guest, Vivek Ramaswamy, detailed Trump winning every Republican primary contest so far.
“Which party, the Republican or Democratic Party, is more united right now?” Watters asked.
Ramaswamy responded: “Undoubtedly, it is the Republican Party. Even beyond that, we have a country that is united even outside the traditional Republican Party. America first includes all Americans. I have traveled to inner cities. I was just in Michigan. From autoworkers to the inner city, people in rural communities to suburban, if you ever think Americans have their heads stuck in the sand.”
“So I think we could be on track, Jesse, for a unifying landslide Reagan 1980, 1984-style election. If we make this as a party about what we actually stand for, restore the rule of law, seal the southern border, Mr. Merritt to economic growth in this country, success is unifying, and I think that is our message, and I think we are going to be very successful, and the Democrats are going to be licking their wounds if we stay on message,” Ramaswamy continued.
