WASHINGTON — Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley said Wednesday she plans to vote for the former president. Donald Trump Despite criticizing him during his campaign in November GOP presidential nomination.
Haley made her first public appearance since leaving the presidential race, speaking at the Hudson Institute in Washington on national security and foreign policy.
After the speeches, he asked the moderator whether Trump or President Joe Biden would do a better job of handling the issues.
“Trump has not been perfect in these policies. I have made that clear many times,” Haley replied. “But Biden was a disaster. That’s why I’m going to vote for Trump.
“Having said that, I stand by what I said in my suspension speech,” Haley said. “Trump would be smart to reach out to the millions of people who voted for me and continue to support me and not assume they’re just going to be with him. And I really hope he does.”
Haley continued to receive double-digit support against Trump in the Republican primaries. Despite dropping out of the race for the GOP nomination after Super Tuesday. Before leaving the race, he called Trump “reduced” and “shut down.” and said it has changed since he first endorsed the presidency in the 2016 general election.
Which is the Biden campaign Haley met with supportersIn a statement released Wednesday, he said Haley’s announcement that she would vote for Trump won’t change anything for the “millions of Republican voters who continue to vote against Donald Trump in the primaries” and that Biden is the only candidate who cares. deeply about the future of our democracy.”
Earlier this month, Trump ruled out Haley as a potential nominee after months of personal attacks between the two. Trump, who often took to Truth Social to call Haley a “bird brain,” publicly called his campaign a “disgrace” leading up to Super Tuesday. Trump also went after Haley’s husband, often asking where he was on the campaign trail during military deployments.
On Wednesday, Haley spoke about her return to civilian life after stepping down from the campaign trail in March and said she was spending time with her family, pointing to her husband, Michael. who recently returned from service in Djibouti. Haley said she stopped campaigning “thankfully,” acknowledging that several members of her campaign were in the audience.
Many of Haley’s former primary rivals have endorsed Trump, including businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who has met frequently with Trump in recent weeks. Among those supported by other opponents are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Tim Scott, RS. Former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson are among the opponents who once did not endorse Trump.
Haley spent much of Wednesday’s speech attacking Biden’s handling of the matter Israel-Hamas warcalling his decision to temporarily withhold some weapons from Israel “foolish,” he also criticized members of his own party’s increasingly isolationist views on Ukraine, saying some Republicans needed “clarity” on the issue.
Haley also called the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “abhorrent in the true sense of the word.” He added that he plans to visit Israel soon and wants Israelis to know that Americans support them.