SC’s Nikki Haley gives voters her case to support her once-rival Donald Trump in November
If Nikki Haley and Tim Scott had their way, they would have been speaking on night four the Republican National Convention accepting the GOP’s nomination.
Instead, the two South Carolinians who sought the 2024 Republican nomination for president were speakers on the first two nights of the convention where Donald Trump was nominated for the third time by the GOP.
But Haley’s speech was among the most anticipated of the convention on whether she would call on her supporters to vote for Trump in November.
“I’ll start by making one thing perfectly clear, Donald Trump has my strong endorsement. Period,” Haley said at the beginning of her remarks.
Haley’s speech was one that helps keep the door open for her to run for president again in 2028. She was the last Republican candidate to drop out ceding the nomination to Trump. During her campaign Haley called Trump “unhinged,” “diminished” and “insecure.”
When Haley dropped out she called on Trump to reach out to people, including independents and suburban women, who supported her to earn their support. In May, she said she would vote for Trump in the November election, but didn’t give a ringing endorsement.
Haley ended the primary cycle with 97 delegates. But last week, she released her delegates allowing them to vote for Trump. She also wasn’t initially invited to speak at the convention, but an invitation was extended over the weekend for party unity.
Her remarks Tuesday echoed much of her comments while on the stump during her presidential campaign, including saying a vote for President Joe Biden would lead to a Kamala Harris presidency,
“If we have four more years of Biden or a single day of Harris, our country will be badly worse off,” Haley said. “For the sake of our nation, we have to go with Donald Trump.”
Haley, who received applause mixed with some boos in the convention hall when she walked onto the stage, also acknowledged that she doesn’t always agree with Trump and made the pitch to her supporters who don’t want to support the former president’s 2024 White House run.
“To my fellow Republicans, we must not only be a unified party, we must also expand our party,” Haley said. “We are so much better when we are bigger. We are stronger when we welcome people into our party who have different backgrounds and experiences. And right now we need to be strong to save America.”
Haley spoke on a night when the theme of the convention was “Make America Safe Once Again.” She served as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations in 2017 and 2018. She has been an advocate for funding for Ukraine in its war against Russia and Israel’s war against Hamas.
She made the case the country’s national security was better under Trump.
“When Barack Obama was president, Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea. With Joe Biden as president, Putin invaded all of Ukraine. But when Donald Trump was president, Putin did nothing,” Haley said. “No invasion, no wars. That was no accident. Putin didn’t attack Ukraine, because he knew Donald Trump was tough. A strong president doesn’t start wars, a strong president prevents wars.”
Also on the convention stage Tuesday night were other former primary rivals of the former president including Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio as the GOP wanted to project unity at its convention.
Scott touts GOP economic policies
Scott, who was part of an initial short list to be Trump’s running mate this cycle, had his turn in the limelight on Monday when the convention’s theme was “Make America Wealthy Once Again.”
Scott argued Republican policies do a better job at lifting people out of poverty.
Scott touted how he wrote the opportunity zones portions of the Trump-era tax cut legislation. The program, one of Scott’s signature achievements, is meant to encourage investment in economically distressed areas.
“It’s conservative values that restore hope. It’s Republican policies that lifts people up,” Scott said. “I partnered with the greatest president of my generation President Donald J. Trump on the biggest tax cuts ever, for working people, and single moms and opportunity zones for neighborhoods that need the most.”
During his presidential campaign, Scott touted how $200 billion had been invested in opportunity zones since 2018 to help spur job growth.
“We’re not just the grand old party of the past. We are the great opportunity party of America’s future,” Scott said.
As he often does on the stump, he alluded to how he and his brother were raised by a single mother.
“We had plastic spoons, non silver spoons but she taught me to work hard to take responsibility and reject victimhood,” Scott said.
This story was originally published July 16, 2024 at 10:08 PM.
