By Ali Vitali, Sarah Dean and Greg Hyatt -
NBC News
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley ended her campaign for the Republican nomination
this Wednesday, after his defeat in every state—except Vermont—against former President Donald Trump this Super Tuesday.
“I am filled with gratitude for all the support I have received across the country, but the time has come to suspend my campaign,” Haley announced in a brief speech from Charleston, South Carolina.
“I said I wanted Americans to be heard and I have achieved that.
I have nothing to regret
.”
Haley's decision leaves Trump as the likely nominee for the Republican nomination, and paves the way for him to face President Joe Biden in the general election.
“Trump will probably be the Republican candidate.
I congratulate you and wish you the best.
I wish the best to all who occupy the position.
“Our country is too wonderful for our differences to divide us,” Haley added.
[This is how we tell you the Super Tuesday primaries up to the minute]
Haley
did not announce this Wednesday who she will endorse.
But she did encourage Trump — who is close to securing the delegates needed to secure her nomination — to win the support of Republicans and independent voters who backed her.
“Now it's up to Trump to win the support of all the people in our party and beyond who haven't.
I hope he does it,” said the former US ambassador to the UN.
“At its best, politics is about attracting people to a cause, not rejecting it.
And our conservative cause urgently needs more support.
Now is the time to choose,” she insisted.
“And although I will no longer be a candidate, I will not stop using my voice for the things I believe in.”
Mitch McConnell (surprisingly) endorses Trump after Haley's announcement
The leader of the Republican minority in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, supported Donald Trump's candidacy this Wednesday, after the former president's sweeping victory on Super Tuesday and Haley's announcement.
“It is more than clear that former President Trump has earned the necessary support of Republican voters to be our candidate for the presidency of the United States.
It should come as no surprise that, as a candidate, he has my support,” said McConnell, R-Ky.
McConell was the highest-profile Republican who had not yet endorsed Trump.
When repeatedly asked if he would do so over the past few months, the senator was reluctant, claiming that he would support the party's eventual nominee.
In his endorsement statement, McConnell highlighted the “great things” he and Trump accomplished during their presidency, including reshaping the federal judiciary and nominating three conservative justices to the Supreme Court.
“I hope to have the opportunity to move from playing defense against the terrible policies that the Biden Administration has carried out, to a sustained offensive aimed at making a real difference in improving the lives of the American people,” he added.
McConnell and Trump have long had a distant relationship,
which became even more acrimonious after the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. McConnell voted to acquit Trump in the impeachment trial against him for the riots, but gave a speech in which he directly blamed Trump for the attack by his followers.
They haven't spoken for at least three years.
However, members of his teams had held closed-door talks seeking an endorsement of Trump, sources told NBC News last month.
McConnell announced this week that he will resign as Republican Senate minority leader at the end of the year.
Haley is also expected to endorse Trump
NBC News and Noticias Telemundo projected an almost resounding victory for Trump in the Super Tuesday primaries, with the exception of the state of Vermont, where Haley won its delegates by a margin of more than 4 percentage points and around 96% of the vote.
Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an interview with Fox Business that she expected Haley to endorse Trump, “considering again that voters and states across the country have made their choice very clear.”
“It's time for Nikki Haley to get out of this race and rally behind the president,” he said.
“We encourage her to do just that: adhere to the will of Republican voters.”
Nikki Haley during a campaign event at Sawyer Park Icehouse in Spring, Texas, on March 4, 2024.Mark Felix / Bloomberg via Getty Images
Elected to Trump's cabinet between 2017 and 2018, Haley was the first major Republican to launch a challenge against his presidential aspirations in February 2023.
His campaign got off to a slow start but gained momentum over the summer and fall of last year after multiple appearances in Republican debates.
Ultimately, his criticism of Trump — he called Jan. 6 a “terrible day” and criticized his conduct during the assault on the Capitol, though he also said he would pardon him if he were convicted of federal crimes — earned him growing support. higher among Republicans and independents opposed to the former president, especially in New Hampshire.
Those criticisms became more strident as the race narrowed.
Haley told NBC News last month that the former president was “gone down” and “unhinged,” explaining her past support for him: “He's not the same person he was in 2016.”
However, while Haley's criticism of Trump attracted a portion of the online donors who fueled her campaign, and her support increased, she was unable to come even within single digits of him in the Republican nomination races. including his home state of South Carolina.
The only primary races Haley won were in Washington, DC, with low turnout.
And those of Vermont, where Trump's weakness among independents and among a segment of Republicans was clear.