Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley made the remarks at a press conference announcing the suspension of her presidential campaign in Charleston, South Carolina on March 6.
Chris Carlson/AP
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Chris Carlson/AP
Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor who ran unsuccessfully for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, will encourage all 97 delegates to support former President Donald Trump at next week's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, a spokesman for Haley told NPR.
Politico first reported that Haley had urged delegates to support Trump at the Republican National Convention. A spokesman for Haley said she would not attend the convention.
Spokeswoman Cheney Denton said Haley “was not invited, but she's OK with that. Trump deserves the convention he wants. She has made it clear she will be voting for Trump and wishes him the best of luck.”
Haley was one of Trump's rivals in the Republican primary and was the last major candidate to drop out of the GOP nomination race.
She initially refused to support him, saying he had to earn her support.
After all, Haley said she would vote for Trump during a speech at the Hudson Institute, a think tank she joined after dropping out of the race, and in May she pledged to vote for Trump, adding that she hoped he would “reach out to the millions of people” who voted for her for the Republican nomination.
Haley is now calling on the 97 delegates she won in this year's primaries and caucuses to support Trump in the formal nomination process. In a statement, she said the convention was a “moment for unity” and that President Biden is “unfit” to serve another term.
While Haley is “releasing” their delegates, they are not required to vote for Trump and may choose to vote for her or another Republican. Under state party rules, delegates may also be bound to a candidate until the convention.
