"Priority to a President Who Protects Alliances and Borders"
"Trump Is Not Perfect but Biden Is Not Acceptable"
"Trump Needs to Reach Out to His Supporters"
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who has served as a focal point for the 'anti-Trump' faction within the Republican Party, has for the first time expressed support for former President Donald Trump, the Washington Post (WP) reported on the 22nd (local time).
At a lecture at the Hudson Institute that day, Haley said, "As a voter, when choosing a president, I prioritize whether the person stands with our allies and can hold our enemies accountable," adding, "We must choose a president who will protect the borders without excuses, defend capitalism and freedom, and understand that no more debt is acceptable."
She acknowledged, "It is clear that former President Trump is not perfect in these aspects," but emphasized, "However, since President Biden is a disaster, I will vote for Trump." Regarding Biden's recent decision to withhold weapons support to Israel, she criticized, "It has proven the false suspicion that Israel is exercising its right to self-defense unjustly," and said, "President Biden will go down in history as a commander-in-chief who refused to stop our enemies."
This is the first time Haley, who had maintained a critical stance toward former President Trump during the Republican presidential primary race, has suddenly expressed support. She officially withdrew from the Republican primary on March 6, shortly after 'Super Tuesday,' but confirmed her staying power by still recording around 20% support in some ongoing state Republican primaries.
Earlier, during her withdrawal speech, Haley did not express support for former President Trump and only said, "Whether Trump can secure votes inside and outside our party is up to him." At the lecture that day, she also stated, "I want to stick to what I said in my withdrawal speech," and pointed out, "Trump still needs to directly reach out to the supporters who vote for me. He should not assume they will naturally support him."
There have been calls within Trump's circle to nominate Haley as his vice-presidential candidate to broaden his appeal to moderate conservatives, but it is reported that Trump himself has dismissed this idea. Since joining the conservative think tank Hudson Institute, Haley has not disclosed any separate political moves.
Meanwhile, according to a recent Bloomberg News-Morning Consult poll, former President Trump is leading President Biden in five of seven battleground states (Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin). In Nevada, Trump led by 8 percentage points last month but is now tied this month. The two presidential candidates are scheduled to face off in a presidential debate hosted by CNN on June 27.
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