Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Monday urged voters to support former President Donald Trump, saying while he “isn’t perfect,” he’s “clearly the better choice.”
Haley left Trump as the final remaining major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination after she ended her bid in March. She neglected to endorse Trump in a speech announcing the suspension of her campaign, instead challenging the former president to earn the votes of those who “did not support him.”
The former governor of South Carolina appeared to reach out to such voters in her Monday op-ed in The Wall Street Journal. She claimed “a third group” of Americans who have mixed views on Trump will decide the presidential election.
“To that group, I’ll point out that Mr. Trump isn’t the only one on the ballot. This election isn’t a referendum on him,” Haley wrote. “It’s a choice between him and Kamala Harris.”
Haley acknowledged in her op-ed that she doesn’t always agree with the former president, but explained to voters his policy positions make the election “an easy call.” She cited the state of the economy and national security under the Biden-Harris administration in her argument.
“A Trump administration would be different. It wouldn’t be perfect,” she wrote. “But I agree with Mr. Trump that we need to keep taxes low and cut them more. I agree that we need to roll back trillions of dollars in special-interest handouts …I agree with Mr. Trump that America should be strong — far stronger than we are today.”
Haley ended her op-ed by saying the “enormous policy differences” between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will “affect the lives of every American and much of the world.”
“And Mr. Trump is clearly the better choice,” she concluded.
Haley’s call comes as Harris has drawn the support of several Republican figures.Former Republican Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney has joined Harris on the campaign trail multiple times, saying both she and her father, former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, will cast ballots for the Democratic nominee.
Earlier this month, thedaughter of former President George W. Bush campaigned for Harris in Pennsylvania, People magazine reported.Barbara Pierce Bush told the publication abortion was a major factor in her decision to support the vice president, explaining she’s hopeful the Harris-Walz campaign will “protect women’s rights.”