Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley bid a brief farewell Sunday after her primary Republican rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, announced he was suspending his presidential campaign.
DeSantis, who has been feuding with Haley for months in debates and on the campaign trail, endorsed Trump.
“Ron DeSantis has been a good governor and I wish him the best,” Haley said in a statement.
Haley is now the last candidate standing between Trump and a third straight Republican nomination, and has painted a hopeful picture for a run for the White House. Trump performed well in last week's Iowa caucuses, and Haley's campaign is hoping a strong performance in New Hampshire will provide the momentum needed to upset Trump.
“So far, there's only one state that's voting. Half of the votes went to Donald Trump, and half didn't vote,” she said. “We are not a nation of coronations. Voters have a say in whether we take another Trump-Biden path or a new conservative path.”
“New Hampshire voters will have their say Tuesday. If I become president, I will do everything in my power to show them they made the right decision,” she added.
The former South Carolina governor has stepped up his attacks on Trump in recent weeks, insisting that Trump cannot beat President Biden in the 2024 election as Republican voters begin to go to the polls.
“All the evidence suggests that if there is a rematch between Trump and Biden, it will be another close election. It could go either way.” Haley said in a comment. After last week's Iowa caucuses. “And look what happens when I go head-to-head with Biden. We won in a landslide. It's not even close.”
Polls support her opinion, with Haley leading Biden by 3 points, while Trump leads Biden by 1 point, according to Hill/Decision Desk polling averages. become.
Haley trails Trump by about 11 points in New Hampshire, according to Hill/Decision Desk's average of state polls. Nationally, she has a huge lead of 55 percentage points. Both numbers use polls that include DeSantis.
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