Billionaire Charles Koch's Political Group 'AFP' Announcement
Considered Supporting DeSantis but Changed After Polls
"Candidate Who Can Beat Trump," Yet Large Gap in Support Rates
Recently, Nikki Haley, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and a prominent contender within the Republican Party against former President Donald Trump, has gained formidable financial resources and organizational strength by receiving support from a powerful conservative political group opposing Trump's re-election.
Former US Republican presidential candidate Haley, former UN Ambassador Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
According to the Washington Post (WP) and others on the 28th (local time), the conservative billionaire Charles Koch-led political group, Americans for Prosperity (AFP), announced its support for Haley on the same day.
The group has been active in recent years to prevent former President Trump from securing the Republican presidential nomination. They opposed his 2020 re-election bid, criticizing Trump for fostering division and pursuing populist trade policies that do not uphold traditional conservative values.
AFP stated that they support Haley as the candidate who can defeat former President Trump in the Republican primary and President Joe Biden in the general election. AFP explained, "Nikki Haley will end the current political era, win the Republican primary, and provide America with the opportunity to defeat Biden next November."
AFP emphasized that Haley can secure independent or moderate-leaning voters whom former President Trump cannot, stating, "This country is divided into extremes. To pull this nation back from the brink, a leader with proven governance judgment and political experience is needed."
This endorsement came about two months before the Republican Party's first Iowa caucus. AFP originally considered supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis but reportedly switched to Haley after she surpassed DeSantis in several recent polls, emerging as the most viable alternative to Trump.
Political circles view the support of a group with vast financial resources and organizational capacity as beneficial to Haley's pursuit of former President Trump. The group previously announced that it had raised over $70 million in July to support election efforts. Especially since Haley has been criticized for lacking a strong organizational base in Iowa, AFP is expected to fill that gap.
However, WP reported that doubts remain about whether the anti-Trump groups, including AFP, can achieve results given that Trump’s support significantly outpaces Haley’s in Republican primary polls.
In a recent poll of Republican voters in New Hampshire conducted this month, the gap between former President Trump and Haley was over 20 percentage points. In a joint survey by WP and Monmouth University, Trump led with 46% to Haley’s 18%, a 28-point difference, while a CNN poll showed Trump at 42% and Haley at 20%, a 22-point gap.
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