Nikki Haley announced Wednesday afternoon that she would withdraw from the Republican presidential primaries, hours after the end of Super Tuesday, where she lost enough states to Donald Trump, effectively eliminating her chances in the race. The former U.S. president and Republican frontrunner won primaries in 14 out of 15 states on Tuesday, virtually ensuring that Trump will be the party's candidate in a rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden in November's election..
"The time has now come to suspend my campaign," Haley said in a statement. "I have no regrets."
Haley wished Trump success in the elections, but did not throw her support behind him and called on him to earn the votes of her supporters, who saw her as a better candidate than the former president.
"It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him," she said. "And I hope he does that."
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Nikki Haley withdrew from the Republican primaries after Super Tuesday
(Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
Following Haley's announcement, Biden addressed Haley's supporters, calling on them to join him in the race against Trump. The Democratic president praised Haley for "speaking the truth" about Trump, in a party where "few dare to do so." Biden added: "Donald Trump made it clear that he does not want Nikki Haley's supporters. I want to be clear: There is a place for them in my campaign."
Trump did show disdain for Haley and her race, and mocked her results in the primaries, but on Wednesday afternoon he called on her supporters to stand by his side. "I want to invite all of Haley's supporters to join the greatest movement in our country's history," the former president said.
Haley was until Wednesday the last remaining candidate in the race against Trump, after the other candidates withdrew one by one in view of his huge advantage in the polls and the overwhelming victories he achieved in the early primaries. She announced her withdrawal after failing to pose a real threat to the former president, and recorded only two victories in the primaries: in the District of Columbia, and in Vermont.
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Donald Trump is the last man standing after Nikki Haley withdraws from the Republican primaries
(Photos: AP Photo, File)
From the beginning of the primaries, Trump supporters called for Haley to step down, to allow him to focus on the battle against Biden in November, in a rerun of the 2020 election. Haley, whose supporters are considered relatively moderate Republicans, had emphasized that her chances of beating Biden are higher than Trump's. She is believed to have waited until after Super Tuesday to withdraw in order to establish her position as an alternative to Trump, in case he is unable to run for the presidency in the end due to legal or health reasons.