SC’s Nikki Haley does not endorse Donald Trump as she leaves 2024 GOP presidential race

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley did not endorse former President Donald Trump’s campaign to return to the White House as she dropped out of the 2024 race.

Haley, who on Sunday backed off from a previous pledge to support the eventual nominee, said Trump needs to earn the support of the Republicans and independents who voted for her in the first 25 contests.

She acknowledged, however, Trump is likely to be the GOP nominee this year, but reiterated a message her campaign often repeated that winning elections is about addition.

“I have always been a conservative Republican and always supported the Republican nominee. But on this question, as she did on so many others, Margaret Thatcher provided some good advice when she said, ‘Never just follow the crowd. Always make up your own mind,’ ” Haley said. “It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him, and I hope he does that. At its best, politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away. And our conservative cause badly needs more people. This is now his time for choosing.”

In the month leading up to the South Carolina primary, Trump said anyone who supports Haley’s campaign would be barred permanently from his Make America Great Again movement.

Almost all of Trump and Haley’s former rivals for the 2024 nomination including North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., have backed Trump’s campaign since ending their own bids.

Top Republicans have called on the party to unite behind Trump as he focuses on taking on President Joe Biden in a rematch of 2020.

“These things are tough. No. 1, Nikki has done better than anybody in the history of South Carolina. She’s a talented person. I hope she can support President Trump,” said U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who is a Trump ally. “She can make the case about why she would vote for Trump versus Biden on policy, I think would resonate with people. I’m pretty confident, I‘ve known her most of my political life, that she’ll be a team player. There will come a time, I hope sooner rather than later, where she’ll realizes this is not her moment and there’s a lot at stake. I find it difficult to imagine Nikki Haley would not support President Trump when it’s all said and done.”

Last summer, in order to appear on Republican debate stages, GOP hopefuls had to sign a pledge with the Republican National Committee to support the eventual nominee. Haley on Sunday appeared to back away from that pledge.

Since then, leadership of the RNC is slated to change with Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and Co-Chairman Drew McKissick slated to step down March 8. McKissick also serves as chairman of the S.C. GOP.

Trump has backed North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley to be the next RNC chairman, his daughter-in-law Lara Trump as the next co-chair, and Co-Campaign Manager Chris LaCivita to be the RNC’s chief operating officer.

“The RNC is now not the same RNC,” Haley said on Meet the Press. “I’ll make what decision I want to make, that’s not something I’m thinking about.”