Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley delivered a forceful endorsement of her former boss Donald Trump during the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, urging wavering GOP voters to back him once again. Haley began by emphasizing the unity theme, thanking Trump for inviting her to speak on behalf of unity, and expressing her gratitude for the opportunity to accept.
Haley wasted no time in making her stance clear, stating, “I’ll start by making one thing perfectly clear: Donald Trump has my strong endorsement. Period.” She went on to express her concerns about President Joe Biden’s ability to govern, citing concerns about his mental acuity and questioning Vice President Kamala Harris’s suitability to lead the nation.
Haley implored the audience, “If we have four more years of Biden… or a single day of Harris… our country will be badly worse off. For the sake of our nation, we have to go with Donald Trump.” She attempted to reassure voters that disagreement with Trump did not preclude supporting him, stating, “You don’t have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him.”
Despite her own disagreements with Trump, Haley emphasized their shared commitment to keeping America safe and strong. “We have a country to save, and a unified Republican Party is essential for saving her,” she said. Haley’s endorsement came on the same night as fellow Republican speakers Vivek Ramaswamy and Gov. Ron DeSantis, demonstrating a show of unity after a contentious primary season.
However, the Biden campaign responded swiftly, with national Republican engagement director Austin Weatherford releasing a statement urging disaffected GOP voters to join the Democratic party. Weatherford cited Haley’s own words, stating, “Ambassador Haley said it best herself: someone who doesn’t respect our military, doesn’t know right from wrong, and ‘surrounds himself in chaos’ can’t be president. That’s why millions of Republicans cast their votes in protest of Donald Trump and his attacks on our institutions, our nation’s allies, and civility.”
