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Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who gave up her Republican presidential bid against former President Donald Trump, said at an event in Washington, “I will vote for Trump.”
Haley's first comments on the issue since dropping out of the race in March came at an event at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank.
Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, held off endorsing her former boss for months after she abandoned her bid for the Republican nomination.
“Trump has not been perfect on these policies,” Haley said, explaining a number of foreign policy and economic issues. “I’ve made it clear many times, but Biden was a disaster. That’s why I’m voting for Trump.”
During the campaign, Haley described Trump as “incompetent” and full of “chaos.” Haley said “now it's up to Donald Trump” to win the support of voters who supported him when he suspended his campaign in March.
She reiterated this point in a speech Wednesday afternoon at the Hudson Institute.
“Trump would be wise to reach out to the millions of people who voted for me and continue to support me and not assume they will just stick with him,” she said. “And I really hope he does.”
President Biden's campaign has made a blatant bid for Haley voters, putting out an ad that says, “There's a place for you in my campaign.”
A Biden campaign spokesperson noted that “millions of Republican voters … continue to vote for Donald Trump in the primaries” and suggested voters should support Biden.
Even after dropping out of the Republican primary, Haley garnered significant support in several states where her name remained on the ballot, winning about one-fifth of the Republican vote in states including Indiana, Nebraska, and Maryland.