Now it’s official: Republican Haley is dropping out of the race for the US presidential nomination. In doing so, she clears the way for ex-President Trump – but she does not want to support him.
According to US media reports, Republican Nikki Haley has now officially announced that she will withdraw from the party’s internal race for the US presidential candidacy. “It is now time to end my campaign,” Haley said in Charleston, South Carolina. “I regret nothing.”
This means that nothing stands in the way of former President Donald Trump’s candidacy. Still, Haley didn’t support him, she continued. “It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond,” said the 52-year-old. “And I hope he does.”
Biden is courting Haley’s supporters
This will most likely result in a new duel between the Republican Trump and the Democrat Joe Biden. Incumbent Biden was already recruiting her supporters after Haley’s withdrawal. Trump made it clear that he didn’t want Haley’s supporters. Biden said he wanted to make it clear that there was a place for her in his campaign. “I know we don’t agree on a lot of things.” But common ground can be found on the fundamental questions of preserving US democracy, advocating for the rule of law, treating one another with decency, dignity and respect, or preserving NATO.
Haley used the final phase of her election campaign to urgently warn her party about Trump. He is too consumed by chaos and personal resentment to win against Biden in the presidential election. The former governor of South Carolina and former UN ambassador was the first serious challenger to enter the race against the ex-president in February 2023.
Haley’s candidacy is not completely ruled out
Haley shouldn’t be completely out of the race. Former President Trump is conducting his election campaign under the auspices of numerous indictments and upcoming trials. Among other things, he must answer in court for his attempts to subsequently reverse the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. However, it is questionable whether there could be a legally binding verdict in any of the court cases by the election date. And even a conviction would not per se prevent Trump from contesting the election.
If Trump ultimately stumbles over one of the criminal proceedings and is no longer a presidential candidate, Haley could theoretically return as her party’s Plan B. As with other presidential candidates who have left the race, their election campaign is technically only suspended and could be revived in case of doubt.
Trump stronger on “Super Tuesday”
In the internal party primaries on Super Tuesday, Haley suffered a clear defeat as Trump’s party rival. She was only able to win the primary in Vermont, while the ex-president was ahead in 14 of 15 states according to forecasts and partial results.
It prevailed in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia. Trump spoke to supporters at his private Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida about a “fantastic evening.”
Biden attacks Trump
Among the Democrats, President Biden won “Super Tuesday” in all states. He won in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.
Only in the small US territory of American Samoa in the South Pacific did he suffer an internal party defeat. The largely unknown Jason Palmer received more votes there, but in the end both candidates each received three of the total six delegate votes.
Thanks to the successes on “Super Tuesday,” Biden is getting closer and closer to the necessary majority of delegate votes. Against this background, he was already concentrating on a confrontation with Trump. Biden said in a statement that he was “determined to destroy our democracy” and take away people’s fundamental freedoms. Trump will “do or say anything to bring himself to power.”
The presidential candidates will not be officially chosen until party conferences in the summer. The actual presidential election is on November 5th.
Julia Kastein, ARD Washington, tagesschau, March 6, 2024 1:08 p.m