Nikki Haley: I will vote for Trump

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haleyannounced Wednesdaythat she will vote for Donald Trump in November despite their rivalry in the Republican primary. Her endorsement marks her first public statement since exiting the race and highlights the growing trend of Republicans who once opposed Trump aligning behind him – a completion of Trump’s near-total takeover of the GOP.

Haley packed up her campaign for the presidential nomination two months ago but did not immediately endorse Trump. She accused him of causing chaos and disregarding the importance of US alliances, pointing particularly to Ukraine aid, which Trump has vowed to end but Haley says is critical. Haley may be setting herself up for a future presidential run, and backing Trump could help win over his voters later.

Speaking at the Hudson Institute, Haley emphasized that Trump must actively engage with her supporters rather than assume their automatic backing – a warning Joe Biden heard loud and clear. The president’s campaign has quietly been organizing a Republicans for Biden group because they see Haley supporters as true swing voters. We’ll be watching to see if any of the hundreds of thousands of Haley voters in each battleground state are willing to be courted by the Democrats.