Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley plans to end her presidential campaign on Wednesday (Mar 6) according to a report by Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with her plans. If confirmed, her exit would pave the way for Donald Trump to win the Republican nomination as well as a possible rematch between him and the incumbent President Joe Biden.
What happened during Super Tuesday?
The reports about Haley potentially ending her White House bid came after Trump defeated Haley in all states except Vermont, on Tuesday (Mar 5) which had already guaranteed the Republican frontrunner the party’s nomination.
WATCH | Super Tuesday Polls: Biden & Trump to win nearly all primaries
On Super Tuesday, 15 states held their primaries which account for more than a third of the overall GOP primary delegate count. The former US president won in 14 of the 15 states, including California and Texas, with most delegates.
On Sunday (Mar 3), the former UN ambassador also won the Washington DC Republican primary with 62.9 per cent of the vote, while Trump managed to garner around 33.2 per cent.
According to the WSJ report, Haley will not immediately announce her endorsement but will encourage Trump to earn the support of Republican and independent voters who backed her so far.
The former governor of South Carolina was the last remaining rival for the Republican nomination against the party’s frontrunner.
She was also among the first Republican contenders to enter the race in February 2023 and while her win was said to be a long-shot, Haley garnered attention for her standout debate performances, towards the end of the year.
Haley, according to the WSJ, is expected to emphasise that she will continue to advocate for the conservative domestic and foreign policies that she has based her run on so far.
Trump and Biden rematch?
With Haley out of the race, a rematch between Trump and Biden is set to take place in November. It will be the first repeat US presidential race since 1956, but as historic as the race seems, it is the one that most Americans are not looking forward to.
Several polls conducted in recent months show that both Trump and Biden have low approval ratings among voters. The incumbent US president has cast his predecessor as an existential danger to American democracy.
Meanwhile, most voters are reportedly concerned about Biden’s age, as at 81, he is the oldest president in US history.
In February, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that most Americans think Biden was too old to work in government, while half of the respondents said the same about Trump – who is around three years younger than his successor.
(With inputs from agencies)
