Supporters of Nikki Haley strongly favor President Joe Biden over former President Donald Trump in the 2024 White House race, according to a new poll.
Ms. Haley dropped out of the race on Wednesday after suffering a heavy loss on Super Tuesday, leaving President Trump the only remaining major GOP candidate.
The poll also revealed that 52 percent of Ms. Haley’s supporters voted for President Biden in 2020.
In her speech upon exiting the presidential race, Ms. Haley said that the former president needed to earn the support of her voters. “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,” she said.
“At its best, politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away. And our conservative cause badly needs more people. This is now his time for choosing,” she added.
Meanwhile, President Biden praised Ms. Haley’s “courage to run for President” and welcomed her supporters to join his campaign, saying, “Donald Trump made it clear he doesn’t want Nikki Haley’s supporters. I want to be clear: There is a place for them in my campaign.”
Previous polls found that a solid majority of Ms. Haley’s voters did not identify themselves as Republicans. CNN exit polls conducted during the New Hampshire GOP Primary in January, where President Trump won against Ms. Haley with a margin of 54.4 to 43.2, found that 70 percent of Ms. Haley’s supporters identified as undeclared voters, while 27 percent were registered Republicans.
The Emerson College poll revealed a tied heat between President Biden and President Trump in the presidential race, both securing 45 percent of the vote. When undecided voters lean toward one candidate, President Biden’s support increases to 51 percent, while President Trump’s rises to 49 percent.
The poll also found that 29 percent of respondents viewed the economy as their top concern, with illegal immigration following at 20 percent and threats to democracy at 14 percent.
Criticized for Not Endorsing Trump
In an interview with Newsmax on March 6, Mr. DeSantis criticized Ms. Haley for not endorsing President Trump as she exited the 2024 presidential race.Republican Party candidates for the 2024 race are required to sign a loyalty pledge to take part in debates. The pledge required they support any person nominated by the party as the final candidate. All GOP candidates who participated in the debates, including Ms. Haley, signed it.
“I signed the pledge. And you sign the pledge saying that you’re going to not take your ball and go home. And so I honored the pledge, and she’s going to have to make a decision about whether she wants to or not,” Mr. DeSantis said.
Most candidates who have withdrawn from the race now endorse President Trump. This includes Mr. DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.
