Former 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley released the several dozen delegates she won in the Republican primaries and has encouraged them to vote for former President Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention next week.
“The nominating convention is a time for Republican unity. Joe Biden is not competent to serve a second term and Kamala Harris would be a disaster for America. We need a president who will hold our enemies to account, secure our border, cut our debt, and get our economy back on track. I encourage my delegates to support Donald Trump next week in Milwaukee,” Haley declared.
Haley’s campaign claimed that she received 97 delegates from the primaries.
Trump already obtained the 1,215 delegates required to be the presumed Republican nominee, so her release of delegates won’t have much of an effect at the convention. Delegates’ ability to cast votes at the convention is also influenced by state party regulations.
Haley spokeswoman Chaney Denton revealed that the former South Carolina governor will not be at the convention.
“She was not invited, and she’s fine with that,” Denton said. “Trump deserves the convention he wants. She’s made it clear she’s voting for him and wishes him the best.”
In May, Haley said she would vote for Trump, despite her intense criticism of him.
“I will be voting for Trump,” Haley said. “Having said that, I stand by what I said in my suspension speech.”
Scoop in @playbookdc: Today Nikki Haley is releasing all of her 97 delegates and encouraging them to vote for Trump at the RNC
Haley, however, was not invited and will not be attending the RNC https://t.co/RizFwnsLql
— Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) July 9, 2024
Former South Carolina governor and 2024 GOP presidential contender Nikki Haley is warning her party to prepare for President Joe Biden to be replaced with a “younger” and more “vibrant” candidate.
“They are going to be smart about it. They’re going to bring somebody younger. They’re going to bring somebody vibrant. They’re going to bring somebody tested,” Haley told The Wall Street Journal following Biden’s horrific debate performance against former President Donald Trump on Thursday.
“This is a time for Republicans to prepare and get ready for what’s to come because there is no way that there will be a surviving Democratic Party if they allow Joe Biden to continue to be the candidate,” she added.
In a direct reference to Biden’s performance, Haley noted further: “Our enemies just saw that they have between now and Jan. 20 to do whatever it is they want to do.”
Haley and Trump had a contentious and sometimes bitter rivalry during the primary season, but she told the WSJ that she had recently reached out to the former president, whom she served as UN ambassador, and that the two of them had “a good conversation.”
She also said in May she planned to vote for him in November. Trump has since said he expects Haley to be “on our team” in some form should he win in November.
For her part, Haley has accepted an offer to join the Washington, D.C.-based Hudson Institute.
“Nikki is a proven, effective leader on both foreign and domestic policy. In an era of worldwide political upheaval, she has remained a steadfast defender of freedom and an effective advocate for American security and prosperity. We are honored to have her join the Hudson team,” Hudson President and CEO John P. Walters noted in a statement.
During her White House campaign, Haley promoted a robust U.S. foreign policy approach to address global flashpoints like the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the clashes involving Israel and Hamas.
This stance often stood in stark contrast to Trump’s “America First” agenda, which aimed to steer clear of international engagements.
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