COLUMBIA, S.C. — In the wake of former President Donald Trump's dominant performance in Super Tuesday primaries, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has announced the suspension of her White House bid.
In stark contrast to Trump's sweeping victories across numerous states, Haley only managed to secure a win in Vermont.
Wednesday morning, back home in South Carolina, she held a press conference announcing the suspension of her campaign suspension.
"I am filled with gratitude with the outpouring of support we’ve received from across our great country, but the time has now come to suspend my campaign," said Haley.
University of South Carolina Political Science Professor Robert Oldendick commented on the unsurprising nature of Haley's decision. "This is not completely unexpected, I mean since the beginning of this campaign Donald Trump has held a big lead," he said.
With Haley exiting the race without endorsing Trump, questions arise regarding the fate of her supporters in November's election.
"Are they willing to go back and support Donald Trump, or are some of them going to go over and support Biden, it's a question of who are they closer to," Oldendick said. "In terms of policies, I think most of those voters who vote in the Republican Primary are going to choose the Republican candidates of course, there will be a few defections but will that be enough to swing the balance in the election? Well, I doubt it."
Haley herself emphasized the importance of Trump's need to unite the party. "It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him, and I hope he does that, as politics should be about bringing people to your cause, not turning them away," she said.
Oldendick believes that Haley's decision to suspend her campaign doesn't signal a move towards joining Trump's administration but rather positions her for a potential presidential bid in 2028.
"She’s got some foreign policy experience, been a former governor, this campaign has given her pretty much universal name recognition, she’s made all kinds of contacts, she's shown that she's able to raise funds and that she's a good campaigner," Oldendick added.