Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley (R) was chosen by President Donald Trump to be the US ambassador to the UN when he was in office. She held that position until December 2018, having started in January 2017. Even if they were friendly at the time, it seems like their friendship deteriorated, and it is clear as they compete for the Republican primary nomination. Haley recently said that if she were elected president, she would pardon Trump, which seems to be another about-face.
Haley made an appearance at a Fox News town hall in her native South Carolina on Sunday, February 18. She remained true to her remarks from the previous few months, stating that she would pardon Trump in the event that he was found guilty of a federal offense.
Haley went on to remark that having an 80-year-old president imprisoned is not ideal for the United States. Although pardoning him might allow the nation to move ahead, it would also fuel further divisiveness. She has maintained this position throughout the previous year, and she also shared it with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), who has subsequently withdrawn from the campaign.
Haley is now engaged in a fierce underdog struggle. FiveThirtyEight reports that Trump leads the former US ambassador by a staggering 61.1%. Haley’s chances of winning the primary have dropped to 16.6%, while his are now at 77.7%.
Trump now leads Haley with 63 delegates to her 17 after winning all of the Republican primary and caucuses thus far. There is still plenty of time to go, since a contender has to receive 1,215 delegates to clinch the nomination, but the odds aren’t in her favor. But Haley isn’t giving up on the campaign, stating that most Americans want someone other than President Joe Biden or Donald Trump to take office in January.
Even with his legal troubles, Trump is still the clear favorite to represent the GOP in November 2024. In addition, he is due to stand trial in March and May on charges of receiving hush money payments and retaining secret papers, respectively. Truckers, who are upset about the latest decision in his case, have united behind him, threatening to stop delivering goods to New York City. Others have contributed to his campaign and defense costs by buying $400 pairs of sneakers.
