NIKKI Haley has officially announced she's suspending her presidential campaign as she refuses to endorse Donald Trump.
Haley confirmed the end of her White House bid on Wednesday morning during a press conference in her home state of South Carolina.
"Just over a year ago, I launched my campaign for president. When I began, I said the campaign is grounded in my love for the country," Haley said.
"But the time has now come to suspend my campaign. I said I wanted Americans to have their voices heard, I have done that.
"I have no regrets, and although I will no longer be a candidate, I will not stop using my voice for the things I believe in."
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The former South Carolina governor criticized the state of Congress, calling incumbents "followers, not leaders."
Haley, who was the US ambassador to the United Nations during Trump's presidency, suffered a slew of embarrassing losses and struggled to win delegates after announcing her candidacy in February 2023.
Haley lost every state but Vermont during Super Tuesday's primary election.
Trump is now poised to represent the Republican Party during November's general election despite facing unprecedented obstacles that include criminal indictments in three different states.
Haley did not endorse Trump during Wednesday's speech but congratulated him and wished him well.
"In all likelihood, Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee when our party convention meets in July. I congratulate him, and wish him well," Haley said.
"I have always been a conservative Republican and always supported the Republican nominee, but on this question, as she did on so many others, Margaret Thatcher provided good advice when she said, 'Never just follow the crowd. Always make up your own mind.'"
Haley sent a message to Trump saying he has to "earn the party's vote."
'GREATEST MOVEMENT IN HISTORY'
Minutes after announcing her campaign suspension, Trump criticized Haley and asked her supporters to join 'the greatest movement."
"Nikki Haley got trounced last night, in record setting fashion, despite the fact that Democrats, for reasons unknown, are allowed to vote in Vermont, and various other Republican Primaries," the former president wrote on Truth Social.
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"Much of her money came from Radical Left Democrats, as did many of her voters, almost 50%, according to the polls.
"At this point, I hope she stays in the 'race' and fights it out until the end!"
Trump went on to thank the GOP, his supporters, and his family and sent a message to Haley's followers.
"[I] would like to invite all of the Haley supporters to join the greatest movement in the history of our Nation. Biden is the enemy, he is destroying our country. Make America Great Again!" he wrote in all caps.
ILL-FATED CAMPAIGN
Haley only won two primary contests during her ill-fated run for the nomination.
Trump beat her by almost 20 points in her home state of South Carolina on February 24.
But Haley handed Trump his first loss in Sunday's Washington DC contest, which prompted the tycoon to quip back that she was the queen of the so-called swamp.
Haley picked up 19 delegates following her DC success, and her team noted that it was the first time a woman had won a Republican primary.
She only won one state on Super Tuesday - Vermont - by around four percentage points.
During the race for the nomination, Trump's lead seemed to surge in the polls the more times he was indicted.
He boasted a huge lead in both the state and national polls heading into Super Tuesday, where hundreds of delegates would be dished out.
But Haley tried to differentiate herself from the one-term president, appealing to independent voters and anti-Trump Republicans.
She had ramped up her attacks on Trump, saying that he should have stopped the January 6 insurrection.
Haley had repeatedly warned about the dangers of a potential second Trump term.
But she said she would pardon Trump should he be convicted of any federal crimes.
Trump has been juggling appearances on the campaign trail with court dates.
He faces four criminal indictments and has been slapped with more than 90 felony charges.
Haley made headlines for calling for mental competency tests for politicians and stood by her Bush-era conservative views.
But she is set to suspend her campaign just hours after suffering a series of crushing defeats on Super Tuesday.
Trump stormed to victory in 14 states, scoring big wins in California and Texas, delegate-rich states.
STORMED TO VICTORY
Trump was closing in on 1,000 delegates and was around 200 away from being officially named the GOP's presumptive 2024 nominee.
The magic number to win the nomination was an estimated 1,215 delegates.
Trump is destined to be coronated at the Republican Party's National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in July.
Trump scored big victories in a slew of states, including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia.
Trump's diehard fanbase accused Haley of hiding as she watched the political fallout from home.
Haley's team was vague on her plans in a statement issued to the press as the results started to trickle in.
“We’re honored to have received the support of millions of Americans across the country today, including in Vermont where Nikki became the first Republican woman to win two presidential primary contests," her team wrote.
"Unity is not achieved by simply claiming ‘we’re united.’
"Today, in state after state, there remains a large block of Republican primary voters who are expressing deep concerns about Donald Trump.
"That is not the unity our party needs for success. Addressing those voters’ concerns will make the Republican Party and America better.”
Haley has previously said she would stay in the race as long as she was competitive.
She had resisted calls from top Republicans who called for her to drop out of the race.
On Monday, she released an ad that blamed Trump for a series of Republican losses in midterms and presidential election years since 2018.
TRUMP'S SWIPES AT BIDEN
During the weekend, she raised doubts about whether she would endorse Trump if he were to become the party's presidential nominee.
The Republican National Committee forced prospective nominees to sign a pledge saying they would back the eventual winner.
But, the RNC is set to see a huge overhaul at the top with Ronna McDaniel's resignation coming into force on March 8.
Haley told NBC's Meet the Press that today's RNC is not the same as what it was.
Meanwhile, the brash tycoon lapped up his success in front of his adoring supporters at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump said his victory in the mammoth day of voting was conclusive.
He also used the address to take further swipes at Joe Biden.
America is hurtling down the track to its first presidential rematch since 1956.
Biden is storming to the Democratic Party's nomination but suffered a shock defeat in American Samoa.
Biden didn't address the loss directly, but he said voters are gearing up to fight back against Trump in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
"Every generation of Americans will face a moment when it has to defend democracy. This is our fight," he said.
Biden has not faced a serious challenge in his bid for the Democratic nomination.
Trump said the US has taken a beating during Biden's term and claimed the world is laughing at America.
He claimed he would bring unity should he be elected in November.
Average polls, compiled by Real Clear Politics, put Trump two points ahead when it comes to the national vote.
Trump lost the popular vote in 2020 by more than four percentage points.
Trump boasts leads in the battleground states of Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and North Carolina.
The Republican was defeated in all of the states except North Carolina in 2020.
Biden's lead in Pennsylvania is less than one percentage point, per the surveys.
