CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Nikki Haley announced Wednesday she is suspending her presidential campaign, though she stopped short of endorsing Donald Trump.
“I am filled with the gratitude for the outpouring of support we’ve received from all across our great country,” Haley said in brief remarks delivered in her home state. “But the time has now come to suspend my campaign.”
“I said I wanted Americans to have their voice. I have done that,” she continued. “I have no regrets. And although I will no longer be a candidate, I will not stop using my voice for the things I believe.”
Her decision, which comes after resounding losses across the country on Super Tuesday, leaves Trump as the last major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination.
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks as she announces she is suspending her campaign, March 6, 2024, in Charleston, S.C.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
Haley acknowledged in her brief remarks that Trump, whom she has roundly criticized, is now all but certain be the GOP nominee after the party’s convention in July.
“I congratulate him and wish him well. I wish anyone well who would be America’s president,” she said. “Our country is too precious to let our differences divide us.”
She didn’t explicitly endorse him, however, saying: “I have always been a conservative Republican and always supported the Republican nominee. But on this question, as she did on so many others, Margaret Thatcher provided some good advice when she said, ‘Never just follow the crap. Always make up your own mind.'”
“It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it, who did not support it,” she added. “And I hope he does that. At its best politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away. And our conservative cause badly needs more people.”
Haley, calling back to her campaign’s launch last February, cited the Book of Joshua in closing out her candidacy.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged, for God will be with you wherever you go,” she said.
Republican presidential candidate and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley walks off stage after announcing the suspension of her presidential campaign at her campaign headquarters, March 6, 2024, in Daniel Island, S.C.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Trump’s campaign didn’t waste any time in fundraising off of Haley’s announcement.
“It was a hard-fought race, but now it’s time for us TO UNITE AS A PARTY AND DEFEAT JOE BIDEN!” a fundraising email sent out Wednesday morning read.
Haley’s exit paves the way for a rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden. Both candidates issued statements urging Haley’s supporters to back their campaigns.
“Donald Trump made it clear he doesn’t want Nikki Haley’s supporters. I want to be clear: There is a place for them in my campaign,” Biden said. “I know there is a lot we won’t agree on. But on the fundamental issues of preserving American democracy, on standing up for the rule of law, on treating each other with decency and dignity and respect, on preserving NATO and standing up to America’s adversaries, I hope and believe we can find common ground.”
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel called Trump the “presumptive nominee.”
“Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump on his huge primary victory! I’d also like to congratulate Nikki Haley for running a hard-fought campaign and becoming the first woman to win a Republican presidential primary contest,” she said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.
Nikki Haley, the former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and a prominent figure in the Republican Party, has announced that she is suspending her 2024 presidential campaign. In a surprising move, Haley also stated that she will not be endorsing former President Donald Trump for a potential run in the next presidential election.
Haley, who served as ambassador under the Trump administration, was seen as a potential frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2024. However, in a statement released on Monday, Haley cited personal reasons for her decision to suspend her campaign.
“I have decided to suspend my campaign for the presidency in 2024,” Haley said in the statement. “While I believe I have a strong vision for the future of our country, I have come to the conclusion that now is not the right time for me to pursue this endeavor. I will continue to serve my country in other ways and remain committed to advancing conservative principles.”
Haley’s decision to not endorse Trump for a potential 2024 run comes as a surprise to many, as she has been a vocal supporter of the former president in the past. However, Haley has been critical of Trump in recent months, particularly in his handling of the January 6th Capitol riot and his continued claims of election fraud.
“I cannot in good conscience endorse Donald Trump for another term as president,” Haley said in her statement. “I believe that our party needs to move forward and focus on the future, rather than looking back at the past. I will not be endorsing any candidate at this time.”
Haley’s decision to suspend her campaign and refrain from endorsing Trump has sparked speculation about the future of the Republican Party and the 2024 presidential race. With Haley out of the running and Trump’s potential candidacy uncertain, the field is wide open for other potential candidates to emerge.
It remains to be seen how Haley’s decision will impact the Republican primary race in 2024, but one thing is clear: the party is facing a period of uncertainty and change as it looks towards the future.
