Former President Donald Trump could be securing a bevy of Republican delegates released by a former opponent of his.
Nikki Haley is releasing all 97 of her pledged delegates, Politico reported Tuesday.
The former South Carolina governor instructed the supporters to instead back Trump, completing the eclipse of the former president’s Republican competitors. The support of 1,215 delegates is needed to secure the party’s nomination.
“The nominating convention is a time for Republican unity,” Politico reports Haley’s statement will say.
The outlet further reports that Haley’s statement will say: “Joe Biden is not competent to serve a second term and Kamala Harris would be a disaster for America. We need a president who will hold our enemies to account, secure our border, cut our debt, and get our economy back on track. I encourage my delegates to support Donald Trump next week in Milwaukee.”
According to The New York Times’ Republican delegate tracker, Trump currently holds a commanding lead with 2,265 now pledged to back him.
It seems that only death or an unforeseen disaster of monumental proportions can derail Trump now.
The surrender of Haley brings a complete end to her role as a “gadfly” candidate.
Haley, after a stint dogging Trump in the Republican primaries, officially suspended her campaign on March 6 after a disastrous showing on Super Tuesday.
Will Trump be facing Biden on Election Day?
Yes: 65% (214 Votes)
No: 35% (115 Votes)
Trump capitalized on the withdrawal immediately and invited all of Haley’s supporters to back him by joining “the greatest movement in the history of our Nation.”
Despite Haley dropping out of the race, she maintained the support of a paltry 97 delegates. Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy, two of Trump’s other former Republican competitors, still have nine and three pledged delegates, respectively.
Needless to say, the GOP’s presumptive nominee appears to be only a vote away from becoming the party’s official ticket header in the 2024 presidential election.
Haley isn’t likely to appear at next week’s Republican National Convention, despite the Trump-supporting move.
Politico cites Haley spokesperson Chaney Denton as saying the former candidate “was not invited” to the convention, but was “fine” with the decision.
“Trump deserves the convention he wants,” Denton said, per Politico. “She’s made it clear she’s voting for him and wishes him the best.”
While Trump’s path to the nomination appears to be only a rubber stamp away, this isn’t true of President Joe Biden’s own party nomination.
Democrats met Tuesday to discuss the future of Biden’s campaign and the potential replacement of the president’s spot heading the ticket. The gravity of the discussion at the somber meeting reportedly made the atmosphere something akin to a funeral.
The decision to replace Biden isn’t as straightforward as it seems for Democrats. For one, there is no potential candidate who could secure an easy win over Trump.
Topping the list of the (un)qualified replacements for Biden is his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris. This appears to be a matter of convenience, as Harris is the only person able to inherit their campaign’s massive war chest and vast infrastructure.
As Trump’s own nomination is now all but official, it’s now up to Democrats to decide who he will face in the rapidly-approaching election.
