Nikki Haley reportedly to drop out of Republican presidential race
Former South Carolina governor, who tried to position herself as more electable than her rivals, was the last prominent Republican candidate standing opposite Donald Trump
www.theguardian.com
The former South Carolina governor, who became Trump's United Nations ambassador and the first prominent woman of color to seek the Republican nomination for president, is due to deliver remarks near her South Carolina home at 10am ET on Wednesday.
The suspension of her campaign was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, quoting people familiar with her plans.
Haley has endured a long string of losses, which began with Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and her home state of South Carolina. On Tuesday, when voters in 15 states cast ballots in contests known as Super Tuesday, Haley lost every state apart from Vermont. She had previously only won in Washington DC.
Among Trump's prominent primary rivals, Haley was the last candidate left standing, so her withdrawal ensures that Trump will capture the Republican nomination.
The WSJ reported that Haley won't announce an endorsement on Wednesday, but will encourage Trump to earn the support of Republican and independent voters who backed her.
The move leaves Trump clear to claim the Republican nomination for a third election running – even though he faces 91 criminal charges, attempts to remove him from the ballot for inciting an insurrection, and civil court rulings requiring him to pay more than $400m over allegations of financial fraud and defamation.