She expressed concern about his age. his mental state. his leadership abilities in the face of 91 criminal charges;
Still, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley was unable to defeat former President Donald Trump in the US presidential election. On Wednesday, she announced she was suspending her campaign, paving the way for Trump to win the Republican nomination.
But analysts say her long-term bid reflects how Trump's grip on the party has tightened. Nevertheless, her campaign has become a voice for the fears of some Republicans.
“There are some concerns among Republican elites that Mr. Trump has a lot of baggage and that he could do better with someone else,” US political writer Osita Nwanebu told Al Jazeera. Told. “Ms. Haley was a candidate who embodied the concern that sticking with Trump could be detrimental to the party.”
But that message did not resonate with some moderate voters. Haley announced the suspension of his campaign following the Super Tuesday primary vote. Fifteen states were up for grabs, but she was able to secure only one, left-leaning Vermont.
Haley ultimately ended her campaign on Wednesday with just 89 party delegates to Trump's 995. Delegates ultimately decide who receives the party's nomination.
“In all likelihood, Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee at the convention in July. I congratulate him and wish him the best,” Haley said in Wednesday's announcement.
However, Haley did not endorse Trump, instead calling on voters who may have doubts about Trump's candidacy to support her.
“It's up to Donald Trump to capture the votes of people inside and outside his party who didn't support him,” she said.
the last woman standing
Haley, a former South Carolina governor, outperformed all other major Republican opponents, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and went head-to-head with Trump in the primary.
But even her farewell speech reflected the difficult balance she had to walk. Experts say it was an attempt to appeal to moderates without alienating party voters whose faith is in loyalty to President Trump.
Throughout the campaign, President Trump criticized Haley, a former administration member, as a “birdbrain” and a “Republican in name only” (RINO). He celebrated her Super Tuesday loss in a social media post and revisited her frequent accusations that she represents the interests of the Democratic Party.
“For unknown reasons, Nikki Haley was arrested in record-breaking fashion last night, even though Democrats are allowed to vote in Vermont and other Republican primaries,” Trump wrote. Ta. “Much of her funding came from the Radical Left Democratic Party.”
Experts have observed that Trump's comments about Haley have resonated among her supporters, calling into question her political credentials and even her citizenship as an Indian American. There is.
President Trump, for example, questioned whether she was even born in the United States, while Democratic President Barack Obama also promoted this conspiracy theory.
Thad Kousser, a political science professor at the University of California, San Diego, told Al Jazeera: “The level of negativity toward her by Trump and his supporters is typically limited to members of the opposing political party.” . “Her challenge to Trump got a really vitriolic response.”
sincere conservative
But while Ms. Haley has been able to project herself as a moderate alternative to Mr. Trump, she has consistently advocated right-wing positions on issues such as immigration, abortion, and foreign policy.
During the Republican primary debate earlier this year, Haley leaned toward far-right talking points. “We have to deport them,” she said at one point, referring to the roughly 10 million illegal immigrants in the United States.
She also called Democratic bills that push to raise the nation's retirement age and address climate change a “communist manifesto.”
Her unconditional support for Israel, even during the deadly military operation in Gaza, is also a hallmark of her campaign. In her recent interview, she said that displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip should be resettled in Arab countries.
Still, she advocated positions that put her at odds with some members of her party, particularly Mr. Trump.
For example, her staunch support for Ukraine has angered the right wing of her party, and she has criticized President Trump's actions on January 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to overturn the 2020 election results. There is.
“I think he should have stopped it when it started,” she told NBC's Meet the Press.
But Haley acknowledged that there are political costs to making such criticism. Speaking to reporters in 2015, she spoke about the backlash she and others faced from President Trump.
“Every time someone criticizes him, he responds with a political attack,” Haley said. “That's not our character as Republicans. That's not what we do.”
What will happen to Haley voters?
Haley is now out of the presidential race, and incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden is already making moves to appeal to the moderate voters who supported her campaign.
In a statement Wednesday, Biden praised Haley's willingness to “tell the truth about Donald Trump.” He also told her supporters, “There's a place for them in my campaign.”
A recent Quinnipiac poll found that only 37% of Republicans who voted for Haley said they would vote for Biden if Haley dropped out. But nearly half pledged to support Trump.
Political writer Nwanevu said this reflects President Trump's firm dominance in the Republican field. Since emerging as an outsider candidate with no political experience in 2016, Trump has increasingly gained an edge over Republicans, with voters rallying behind him.
“Trump is very popular among Republican voters, more popular than when he ran in 2016, when he won most primaries without receiving a majority of votes,” Nwaneb told Al Jazeera. Told.
Recent polling numbers have also emboldened the Trump campaign. A poll conducted by the New York Times and Siena College in March showed Mr. Trump leading Mr. Biden 48% to 43%. Meanwhile, Biden's popularity has fallen to an all-time low.
These numbers prove the unity of the Republican Party. Kousser, a political science professor, told Al Jazeera that Biden's low approval ratings have led some Republican voters to give up on the former president, even with his unsavory public personality and legal problems. He said it would reassure them of their ability to win.
“They don't feel like they have to choose between the candidate closest to their hearts and the candidate who can win in November,” he said.
I end my campaign with the same words with which I began in the book of Joshua. I want to say these words to all Americans, but especially to the many women and girls who believe in our campaign.
Be strong and courageous. do not be afraid. Don't be discouraged. For God's sake… pic.twitter.com/XAwgOGzKdy
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) March 6, 2024
officials standing in line
Republican officials have similarly supported Trump's candidacy.
For example, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has previously slammed President Trump's actions on January 6th. But on Wednesday, Mr. McConnell again voiced his support for Mr. Trump, despite a stormy personal relationship.
“It's not surprising that he would have my support as a candidate,” McConnell said.
Nwanevu said even establishment Republicans who are uncomfortable with Trump have come to see him as a vessel for advancing traditional conservative priorities.
“The Republican establishment has largely aligned itself with President Trump on his major policy goals. During his first term, we didn’t see the major realignment on trade that he promised. He cut taxes, He promoted deregulation and appointed conservative judges to the Supreme Court,” he explained.
“While there are still some within the party who believe they could have accomplished more on policy without President Trump's intimidation, most of the party's ranks have resigned and are no longer under Trump's leadership. We recognize that it cannot be taken away.”
Haley reverted to a moderate tone in her farewell speech, suggesting she may still believe she has a future in the party even if Trump loses again in 2024.
“The best thing about politics is bringing people to your cause, not pushing them away,” Haley said in a speech Wednesday. “And our conservative cause needs more people.”