Ex-Trump aide explains why Nikki Haley's endorsement won't mean a win for ex-president
After announcing she would vote for Donald Trump in the upcoming election — Nikki Haley has formally hitched her wagon back to the MAGA train in hopes of reoccupying the White House.
But an ex-Trump White House aide warns that Haley's faithful supporters — who gave the 45th an impressive run in the Republican primary — may not fall in line behind her.
After former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley came forward on Wednesday to confirm she would be backing former President Donald Trump come November 5 election, Alyssa Farah Griffin remained skeptical the Haley voters want another Trump term.
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"I am not convinced that her voters necessarily go with her," Griffin said during an appearance on CNN's "Out Front." "Why I say that is I think she was an avatar for 'Never Trump' [movement] — for someone other than Trump — she was the person going the hardest after him The best alternative. But I'm not convinced that even half of those end up going with her simply because she's backing Trump."
The remarkable announcement came after Trump as a candidate, who refused her repeated challenge to debate her for the 2024 Republican nomination, questioned why her husband wasn't stumping with her. It was later found that Michael Haley, who serves in the South Carolina Army National Guard, was deployed overseas.
A day later, Haley called Trump's personal attack on her family more examples of his "chaos" and "irresponsibility."
"We can't have someone who sits there and mocks our men and women who are trying to protect America," Haley said. "It's a pattern."
The irony wasn't lost on Griffin.
"Donald Trump went after her family — her husband — who was serving in the military, in Africa at the time — and she's still comes around to kiss the ring," she noted. "I mean, it's shameful. It's embarrassing. It's pathetic."
Her letdown is especially personal for Griffin because she admitted she was hoping for a future President Haley.
"And by the way, I supported Nikki Haley."
She believes that if there is going to be any dissent against MAGA rolling to a 2024 victory it will take someone cut from outside the current party that is beholden to the 45th president. Or perhaps more people like former Vice President Mike Pence who publicly declared he wouldn't vote for his ex-boss.
"This just goes to show people that there's not going to be somebody who emerges from the old school of politics to save the Republican party from where it's going," she said. "It's going to have to be somebody outside who is not beholden to wanting to have a longstanding future in the party who's trying to know angle for their next cabinet position."
"And I think that must be what Nikki Haley's doing."