Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is facing growing calls for her to leave the 2024 presidential race as the Republican National Committee (RNC) nearly considered a resolution to declare former President Trump the party’s presumptive nominee for president in 2024.
Trump trounced his rivals with convincing wins in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary this month, and experts agree there is likely little hope for Haley, the only alternative to the former president remaining in the race, in the upcoming South Carolina primary despite it being her home state.
During an appearance on Fox News immediately following Trump’s New Hampshire victory on Tuesday, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was the first to publicly state it was time for Haley to make her exit.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former President Trump (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“In my view, the general election really begins tonight. I think the Republican primary, for all intents and purposes, is over tonight. And I think the party and the country are better off if we see that for what it is,” he said.
RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel followed shortly after, also telling Fox News she didn’t see a path for Haley going forward.
“I think she’s run a great campaign, but I do think there is a message that’s coming out from the voters which is very clear: We need to unite around our eventual nominee, which is going to be Donald Trump, and we need to make sure we beat Joe Biden,” she said.
RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)
“It is 10 months away until the November election, and we can’t wait any longer to put out foot on the gas to beat the worst president, to beat a president that’s kept our borders open, allowed fentanyl to pour through, allowed inflation to go rampant. He is hurting the American people, and we need to do everything we can to unite so that we can defeat him,” she added.
Others quickly fell in line, including Andy Sabin, a major Republican donor, who said Haley needs to heed the advice of the late country singer Kenny Rogers and “know when to walk away,” and Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., a Trump supporter, told Fox there was “no path” for her to move forward.
Sens. JD Vance, R-Ohio, Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., have also called for Haley to end her campaign.
HALEY ALLIES ADMIT SHE HAS ‘STEEPER ROAD AHEAD’ FACING TRUMP IN SOUTH CAROLINA
The increased calls for Haley to leave the race come as the RNC was set to consider a resolution that, if approved, would have declared Trump to be the party’s presumptive nominee for president. Fox News Digital obtained a copy of the resolution on Thursday, but it was later withdrawn.
Haley’s campaign told Fox News Digital it was up to the millions of Republican voters across the country to decide who the party’s nominee will be, “not a bunch of Washington insiders.”
“Who cares what the RNC says?” Haley campaign spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said. “If Ronna McDaniel wants to be helpful, she can organize a debate in South Carolina, unless she’s also worried that Trump can’t handle being on the stage for 90 minutes with Nikki Haley.”
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In a statement, RNC spokesperson Keith Schipper said, “Resolutions, such as this one, are brought forward by members of the RNC. Chairwoman McDaniel doesn’t offer resolutions. This will be taken up by the Resolutions Committee, and they will decide whether to send this resolution to be voted on by the 168 RNC members at our annual meeting next week.”
Trump addressed the resolution ahead of its withdrawal, expressing gratitude on Truth Social to those supporting it, but declaring he wanted to win the nomination through support from voters.
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