Nikki Haley will finally capitulate to Donald Trump in a speech Wednesday morning after the former president delivered a series of devastating blows to her failed campaign on Super Tuesday.
Haley, 52, will speak in her home state of South Carolina at around 10 a.m. local time, the Wall Street Journal reports. The development guarantees a rematch between Biden and Trump in November.
In her speech, Haley will not support Trump but will encourage him to “win the support of the Republican and independent voters who supported her,” said the report, which was provided to people familiar with her plans.
That's consistent with her rhetoric in recent days, in which she pushed back against pressure to drop out of the race and tried to shift responsibility back to Trump himself to unify the party.
Her departure sets off the tussle between 81-year-old President Joe Biden and 77-year-old former President Donald Trump that many voters don't want in opinion polls, even though both men scored decisive electoral victories in their parties.
Are we really going to have two 80-year-olds running for president in this country? “It's a fact that at her age you suffer mental decline,” she told CBS News days ago – and applied this description to the leader of her party.
On Tuesday, Haley told Fox & Friends, “I didn't hear him promise me that he would support me if I won, so I don't know why I have to swear to him that I would support him.”
Haley will also speak Wednesday about conservative values such as an active foreign policy in opposition to MAGA isolationism and tougher government spending. Throughout her campaign, the former U.N. ambassador continued to call for U.S. cooperation with its allies and maintaining support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's brutal invasion.
That has sometimes put her at odds with Trump and the MAGA wing of her party, which has become increasingly skeptical of Ukraine and cast doubt on “blank check” funding from the U.S., even as the candidate emphasizes getting along with Russia.
Her campaign made history when she became the first Republican woman to win two primaries, in Vermont and the District of Columbia, avoiding total failure.
But the delegate situation she faced Wednesday morning was extremely dire, as she faced a statewide defeat and the need to win the remaining contests by near-impossible margins despite being heavily behind in the polls.
Nikki Haley released a statement Tuesday about voters' “deep concerns” about her rival Donald Trump after the former president swept a dozen states, anticipating that he would likely march to the Republican nomination
The results of Super Tuesday gave Haley's campaign no viable path to the nomination
The former South Carolina governor made no public appearances Tuesday, remaining with her campaign team in her home state as dire results poured in from across the country.
In a vague statement released late Tuesday night, she did not address her future in the race, saying only that a “large bloc of voters” had “deep concerns” about the Republican front-runner, who is almost certain to be in a race against President Joe Biden will face a rematch in November.
While Haley went underground and left supporters guessing about her next move, Trump gave a victory speech at Mar-a-Lago without mentioning her name, instead focusing on his likely opponent in 2024.
She won only one state, Vermont, and then released the printed statement through her campaign spokeswoman.
“We are honored to have received the support of millions of Americans across the country today, including in Vermont, where Nikki became the first Republican woman to win two presidential primaries,” said spokeswoman Olivia Perez-Cubas.
She then spoke of “unity,” something Trump has repeatedly called for in a party that is increasingly falling under his control.
Donald Trump speaks to his supporters at Mar-a-Lago and speaks of a “big victory”
“Unity is not achieved by simply saying, ‘We are united.’” Even today, in state after state, there are large groups of Republican primary voters expressing deep concern about Donald Trump. That is not the unity our party needs to be successful. “Addressing the concerns of these voters will improve the Republican Party and America,” Perez-Cubas added.
As of 1 a.m. Eastern Time, Trump had easily won 12 states. Then at 3 a.m. his victory in the Alaska primary was confirmed, an hour later Utah also fell.
“They call it Super Tuesday for a reason – that's a big win. “And they tell me, the experts, there's never been anything so conclusive,” Trump said.
Haley sat in her home state of South Carolina while millions of Americans went to the polls. That alone sent a strong signal about the state of the race.
Her campaign released no information about any plans to reach out to supporters as the results came in, even as Trump, who had declared the race all but over, brought hundreds of supporters to his private club at Mar-a-Lago in Florida invited.
Trump secured large streams of delegates from California and Texas – California was all about winners – and was on track to secure his party's nomination as early as next week, even if Haley remained in office.
With the loss in Virginia, Haley lost one of the 15 states up for grabs on Tuesday where she had something of a chance.
Supporters of former US President and presidential candidate Donald Trump cheer as he is declared the winner in the state of Virginia during a “Victory Party” for the Super Tuesday primaries in Quincy, Massachusetts
While Haley went underground and left supporters guessing about her next move, Trump gave a victory speech at Mar-a-Lago without mentioning her name
Eric Trump (left) and his wife Lara arrive at the Mar-a-Lago ballroom to watch the Republican front-runner's speech
Trump addresses the crowd at his Palm Beach club at a subdued victory party
And poll results described an electorate that could be receptive to a candidate like Haley: 72 percent are suburban, mostly college-educated and less committed to MAGA than neighboring North Carolina.
The only information about her whereabouts came from a public comment made by Haley in a television interview that she would be in her home state on Super Tuesday.
A source released vague information saying she went into hiding in Charleston and watched the return with the staff, who sources said were described as happy warriors in a jubilant mood.
In contrast, before her loss in her home state of South Carolina, the candidate telegraphed that she would campaign in Michigan and into Super Tuesday.
As of Tuesday evening, she had said only that she would stay in the race as long as she was “competitive.”
Her campaign did not announce any further campaign stops after Tuesday, although Trump was not expected to immediately commit to the required delegates.
Her campaign also did not organize a call to provide a path forward for members of the media covering the lopsided two-person race.
Her campaign's only public presence on Tuesday, as millions of Americans went to the polls, was a new web and television appearance by the candidate in which Haley dismissed calls that she should “drop out” of the race for the White House while she faces a flood of potential losses on Super Tuesday.
Haley faced pointed questions about her future if she dropped out of the race during a Super Tuesday appearance on Fox & Friends.
“As much as everyone wants to push me out, I'm not ready to come out yet,” she said as people began voting in 15 states across the country, with hundreds of delegates at stake.
“I’m still sitting there fighting for the people who want a voice, so they deserve it,” she added.
Haley bristled when asked whether she should back away from her debate-stage promise to support the eventual nominee, which she declined as her criticism of Trump became increasingly vocal.
“If you don't have a good night, will you get out, and when will you realize it's time to unite? Will you unite and support Donald Trump if he wins tonight?' asked Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt.
“If I got out of the race, it would still be the longest presidential election in history.” “I don't know why everyone is so insistent that they have to follow Trump's example to get me out of this race,” Haley replied . “All of these people deserve to vote…It’s as pro-American as it gets.”
She said of Trump, who she said was responsible for a series of Republican Party defeats: “I didn't hear him promise me that he would support me if I won.” So I don't know why I made that promise to him I have to support him if I win.
Haley's campaign released a new digital ad Monday in which the candidate claims Trump had his “fingerprints” on a series of losses. It begins with a clip of Trump telling his supporters that they would “get bored of winning” because they do it so often.
Haley has no public calendar of events to support her longer-term plans to continue the fight.
Trump has announced that he will campaign in Georgia next week.
“When are you going to realize it’s time to unite?” Fox host Ainsley Earhardt asked, sparking resistance from Haley
Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, has announced he will be campaigning in Georgia next week
A voter fills out his ballot at the Fairfax County Government Center polling station in Fairfax, Virginia, USA, March 5, 2024. Super Tuesday voters in 15 states and territories will cast their ballots for 2024 United States presidential candidates
Trump is not expected to mathematically win the nomination today.
Haley announced a leadership team from Louisiana on Monday, including several former members of Congress, but no trip to the Pelican State.
Asked on CNN Monday if she could name states she could win and how many she could point to to justify staying, Haley avoided a direct answer.
“Well, we said as long as we're competitive, we've been to 10 states in the last week alone.” “I just finished a rally here in Houston, Texas, well over 1,000 people showed up,” she said.