Joe Biden Says There’s a Place for Nikki Haley Fans in His Campaign: ‘Stakes for America Couldn’t Be Higher’
"I know there is a lot we won't agree on," Biden admitted on Wednesday. But as Trump isolates Haley's supporters, he said, "I hope and believe we can find common ground"
President Joe Biden is looking to bridge the divide between himself and supporters of Nikki Haley.
Upon the former South Carolina governor's announcement that she is dropping out of the Republican presidential primaries on Wednesday morning, Biden released a statement inviting her fans into his flock.
"It takes a lot of courage to run for President — that’s especially true in today’s Republican Party," Biden said, highlighting how "so few dare to speak the truth about Donald Trump."
But, he added, "Nikki Haley was willing to speak the truth about Trump: about the chaos that always follows him, about his inability to see right from wrong, about his cowering before Vladimir Putin."
"Donald Trump made it clear he doesn’t want Nikki Haley’s supporters," Biden continued. "I want to be clear: There is a place for them in my campaign."
Related: Nikki Haley Slams Donald Trump in GOP Debate: ‘Most Disliked Politician in America’
After the New Hampshire primary election in January, Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social to threaten Haley's supporters for continuing to back her presidential bid.
"Nikki 'Birdbrain' Haley is very bad for the Republican Party and, indeed, our Country," the former president wrote, before saying that from that point forward, anyone who donates to her campaign "will be permanently barred from the MAGA camp."
"We don’t want them, and will not accept them," Trump added, "because we Put America First, and ALWAYS WILL!"
Related: Mitt Romney Explains Why He Would ‘Absolutely Not’ Vote for Trump over Biden
Haley's campaign attracted anti-Trump Republicans looking for a more stable candidate. Now that she's out of the race, questions remain about whether her supporters will warm up to Trump's extremism before November, or whether they will stick to their convictions and vote for Biden or a third-party candidate in the general election.
In Biden's statement to Haley voters on Wednesday, he acknowledged that there will be "a lot we won’t agree on."
"But on the fundamental issues of preserving American democracy, on standing up for the rule of law, on treating each other with decency and dignity and respect, on preserving NATO and standing up to America’s adversaries," he said, "I hope and believe we can find common ground."
"We all know this is no ordinary election. And the stakes for America couldn't be higher. I know that Democrats and Republicans and Independents disagree on many issues and hold strong convictions. That's a good thing. That's what America stands for," Biden concluded. "I also know this: what unites Democrats and Republicans and Independents is a love for America."
Haley suspended her presidential campaign after winning only two out of the 26 contests that had been held by Super Tuesday. The onetime presidential hopeful told supporters during a live speech in South Carolina following the announcement that she is "filled with gratitude" for the support her campaign received.
"I wanted Americans to have their voices heard. I have done that. I have no regrets," Haley added.
Related: New Book Details How Trump Allegedly Spoke About Women, Including Nancy Pelosi and Nikki Haley
Later in her speech, she conceded, "In all likelihood, Donald Trump will be the party nominee."
While Haley wished him well, she did not outright endorse Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, and instead quoted late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher: "Never just follow the crowd, always make up your own mind."
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