Nikki Haley announces end of her US presidential campaign, paves way for Biden and Trump rematch

Former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley onWednesday (Mar 6)formally announced she was ending her campaign to get a Republican nomination in the presidential race.

The Indian-origin politician's exitpaves the way for Donald Trump to win the Republican nomination as well as a possible rematch between him and the incumbent President Joe Biden.

No regrets: Haley ends her White House bid

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"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," said the former governor of South Carolina.

She added, "Although I will no longer be a candidate, I will not stop using my voice for the things I believe in."

Haley also congratulated the Republican frontrunner and her ex-bossbut did not endorsehim. "In all likelihood, Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee...I congratulate him and wish him well."

Haley also said that it is up to Trump to "earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him. And I hope he does that."

After her speech,Haley’s spokesperson took to X to point out the difference between Trump's and Biden's reaction to her exit.

The former president mockedhis fellow Republican saying how theformer South Carolina governor got "trounced" on Super Tuesday and called on her supporters to join him.

Meanwhile, Biden's statement praised Haley saying that "it takes a lot of courage to run for President - that's especially true in today's Republican Party, where so few dare to speak the truth about Donald Trump."

He also called on her supporters to join him and wrote, "I hope and believe we can find common ground."

What happened on Super Tuesday?

Haley's announcement aboutending her White House bid came after Trump defeated herin all states except Vermont on Tuesday (Mar 5) which had already guaranteed the Republican frontrunner the party’s nomination.

WATCH |Super Tuesday Polls: Biden & Trump to win nearly all primaries

On Super Tuesday, 15 states held their primaries which account for more than a third of the overall GOP primary delegate count. The former US president won in 14 of the 15 states, including California and Texas, with most delegates.

On Sunday (Mar 3), Haley had won the Washington DCRepublican primary with 62.9 per cent of the vote, while Trump managed to garner around 33.2 per cent. While high on symbolism as the seat of US government, DC is nevertheless numerically insignificant.

Also Read |Trump, Biden look set for possible presidential rematch after easy primary wins

The former governor of South Carolina was the last remaining rival for the Republican nomination against the party’s frontrunner.

She was also among the first Republican contenders to enter the race in February 2023 and while her win was said to be a long shot, Haley garnered attention for her standout debate performances, towards the end of the year.

Trump and Biden rematch?

With Haley out of the race, a rematch between Trump and Biden is set to take place in November. It will be the first repeat US presidential race since 1956, but as historic as the race seems, it is the one that most Americans are not looking forward to.

Several polls conducted in recent months show that both Trump and Biden have low approval ratings among voters. The incumbent US president has cast his predecessor as an existential danger to American democracy.

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Meanwhile, most voters are reportedly concerned about Biden’s age, as at 81, he is the oldest president in US history.

In February, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that most Americans think Biden was too old to work in government, while half of the respondents said the same about Trump – who is around three years younger than his successor.

(With inputs from agencies)