Nikki Haley suspends presidential campaign following consecutive losses

Former US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, halted her campaign for the Republican nomination for President following a poor showing in primaries in over 10 states on Tuesday. Former President Donald Trump emerges as the presumptive Republican nominee. Trump has 955 delegates, just shy of the 1,215 winning threshold, while Haley only has 88.

During her announcement, Haley did not endorse Trump, stating, “It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party who did not support him, and I hope he does.”

Despite running a vigorous campaign, Haley failed to gather enough Republican voters who did not want Trump as the nominee again. She did, however, raise substantial funds and had the support of major donors such as the Koch Network, who withdrew their support last week.

Haley won primaries in only two states compared to Trump’s 22 victories. Calls from within the Republican party for Haley to exit the race and allow Trump to concentrate on his contest against Biden had been mounting, but she remained in the race, claiming she was a better candidate than both Trump and Biden.

Speculation arises about Haley’s future, including the possibility of joining Trump as his running mate. However, Trump has not shown interest, and Haley’s Republican supporters, who are anti-Trump, are unlikely to transfer their support to him if she were to be on the ticket.

Despite her exit, Haley is seen as a strong contender for the Republican nomination in 2028, drawing comparisons to Ronald Reagan’s 1968 run for the nomination. Reagan lost to Richard Nixon but established himself as a significant figure in the party, eventually winning the Presidency in 1980.