Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley announced on May 22, 2024, that she will vote for Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election. This announcement came during a discussion on foreign policy at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank. Haley criticized President Joe Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas War and condemned his threat to withhold weapons from Israel, arguing it gave enemies a green light for more bloodshed. She warned that failing to act on foreign policy would lead to more difficult decisions and a greater chance of catastrophe.
On May 23, 2024, Biden campaign officials met with Haley supporters in a scheduled Zoom call hours after her announcement. The discussion began with a Q&A session between the Biden campaign official and attendees followed by continued conversation among group members. Haley expressed hope that Trump would reach out to her supporters, acknowledging that not all were full-throated endorsements of the President.
Nikki Haley's decision to vote for Trump was a reversal from her previous criticisms of him. In February 2024, she had warned that an 'unstable and unhinged' person should not be president. However, her priorities as a voter led her to support Trump over Biden.
Mark Sanford, former South Carolina Governor and Haley's critic, commented on her decision stating 'ambition kills off a lot of things.'
Despite clashes with Trump during the campaign trail and his jabs at her military husband's deployment overseas, Haley signaled that her decision was based on Biden's policies. She put her priorities on a president who would have the backs of allies, hold enemies to account, support capitalism and freedom, and understand the need for less debt.
Former Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger called out Haley for supporting Trump, labeling it 'pathetic.'