NEW DELHI: Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, and one-time Trump’s rival addressed voters on Tuesday, explaining her reasons for supporting GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Haley, who was met with scattered boos at the Republican convention, began her speech by firmly endorsing the former president. Although this wasn’t surprising, as she had previously stated her intention to vote for him and released her convention delegates to support him, her affirmation was met with resounding applause.
She then focused on persuading her supporters, even those who had backed her long after Trump had secured the nomination, to support the candidate she had once harshly criticized.
“You don’t have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him. Take it from me,” she said. “I haven’t always agreed with President Trump. But we agree more than we disagree.”
The remainder of her speech addressed foreign policy, immigration, and crime, while also taking jabs at Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris. The crowd booed whenever she mentioned their names. While her speech may not have been sufficient to completely mend the damage her campaign caused among Trump’s loyal supporters, it was a crucial beginning if she intends to have a future in Republican politics.
Her address marked a gradual easing of tensions between Haley and Trump following a contentious, yearlong campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.
The speech, a collaborative effort between Haley and the Trump campaign, was approved by Republican convention officials and represents Haley’s most recent attempt to unify the party behind her former competitor.
Throughout her campaign earlier, Haley had urged GOP voters to support her to avoid the “chaos” that she believed accompanied the former president.
Despite losses in New Hampshire and her home state of South Carolina, Haley resisted calls to withdraw from the race and endorse Trump. Instead, she intensified her criticisms of the former president and his age, often highlighting polls that suggested she would perform better than Trump against President Joe Biden in a general election. Additionally, Haley warned that Trump’s legal issues would likely dominate the campaign cycle.
Haley, who was met with scattered boos at the Republican convention, began her speech by firmly endorsing the former president. Although this wasn’t surprising, as she had previously stated her intention to vote for him and released her convention delegates to support him, her affirmation was met with resounding applause.
She then focused on persuading her supporters, even those who had backed her long after Trump had secured the nomination, to support the candidate she had once harshly criticized.
“You don’t have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him. Take it from me,” she said. “I haven’t always agreed with President Trump. But we agree more than we disagree.”
The remainder of her speech addressed foreign policy, immigration, and crime, while also taking jabs at Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris. The crowd booed whenever she mentioned their names. While her speech may not have been sufficient to completely mend the damage her campaign caused among Trump’s loyal supporters, it was a crucial beginning if she intends to have a future in Republican politics.
Her address marked a gradual easing of tensions between Haley and Trump following a contentious, yearlong campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.
The speech, a collaborative effort between Haley and the Trump campaign, was approved by Republican convention officials and represents Haley’s most recent attempt to unify the party behind her former competitor.
Throughout her campaign earlier, Haley had urged GOP voters to support her to avoid the “chaos” that she believed accompanied the former president.
Despite losses in New Hampshire and her home state of South Carolina, Haley resisted calls to withdraw from the race and endorse Trump. Instead, she intensified her criticisms of the former president and his age, often highlighting polls that suggested she would perform better than Trump against President Joe Biden in a general election. Additionally, Haley warned that Trump’s legal issues would likely dominate the campaign cycle.