Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley has decided to suspend her campaign for the Republican presidential nomination following ex-US President Donald Trump’s Super Tuesday triumph.
Haley managed to won Vermont, tarnishing Trump’s hopes of clean sweep. Trump, however, captured other states that would have been beneficial to her, such as Virginia, Massachusetts, and Maine.
With Haley’s exit, Trump will remain the last major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination.
Nikki Haley rules out running as an independent
Haley has suffered swatting hoaxes and faced calls to withdraw from the presidential race from her own party members.
Even after winning the Republican primary in the District of Columbia, other GOP leaders urged Haley to focus on unity around Trump.
Haley has already clarified that she has no interest in pursuing a third-party campaign.
“I have said many, many times I would not run as an independent. I would not run as no labels because I am a Republican and that’s who I’ve always been,” she declared during a Super Tuesday appearance on FOX News.
Haley’s decision to withdraw from the race also comes after she made history as the first woman to win a Republican primary.
The former South Carolina governor’s defeat can be seen as a blow to voters, contributors, and Republican Party officials who oppose Trump and his fervent brand of “Make America Great Again” politics.
The Indian-American politician was particularly popular among moderates and college-educated voters, two groups that will undoubtedly play significant role in the general election. It is unknown whether Trump, who recently vowed that Haley donors would be forever excluded from his campaign, can eventually unite a sharply divided party.
