Nikki Haley, Republican presidential candidate Photo: Anadolu
Nikki Haley has received the support of a powerful conservative group founded by a Republican mega-donor Charles Koch, which could dramatically shake up the 2024 Republican primaries.
Americans for Prosperity (AFP), the political action committee founded by Mr Koch and backed by other wealthy conservatives, said it was «proud to «We have our full support» for Ms. Haley.
Emily Seidel, a senior adviser to the group, said the 51-year-old former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations «will have the full weight and scale» of an «unrivaled people's army and resources.» groups in her presidential bid.
The intervention is a major boost for Haley about seven weeks before the start of the contest in Iowa, a key testing ground for Donald Trump's rivals.
Mr. Trump has a commanding double-digit lead over his rivals. But Haley has gained momentum after a string of strong televised debate performances and is positioning herself as the most credible alternative to the former president.
AFP's endorsement comes as a blow to Ron DeSantis, the 45-year-old governor of Florida whose bid to take on Trump has been in free fall since summer.
Andrew Romeo, a spokesman for DeSantis, said the endorsement amounted to an in-kind donation to the Trump campaign, arguing that Ms. Haley had no path to victory.
“Like clockwork, supporters of open borders and the Escape Bill out of prison are lining up behind a moderate who has no mathematical path to defeating a former president,” Mr. Romeo said.
“No one has a stronger record of defeating the establishment than Ron DeSantis , and this time it will be no exception.”
Ms. Haley has challenged Mr. DeSantis' second position by increasing donations and support in recent weeks and increasingly seen as Mr. Trump's strongest challenger.
She also benefited from the early departure of Mike Pence, the former vice president. , and Tim Scott, the South Carolina senator whose supporters and donors have regrouped around Ms. Haley.
Charles Koch, like his late brother David before his death in 2019, was a powerful player in the Republican politics.
The billionaire brothers were CEOs of the family business, Koch Industries, one of the largest privately held companies in the United States. Charles Koch was an early supporter of the Tea Party, a populist grassroots movement that emerged in response to Barack Obama's emergence on the national political scene. stage, but later said he regretted his support.
The Koch-backed Agence France-Presse refused to endorse Trump in the 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, but has a hefty budget.
It spent about $69 million on the Republican race in the 2022 midterm elections. In its last public statement, published in June, AFP said it had raised more than $70 million, of which $25 million came directly from Mr Koch.
Although the group did not say how much it would spend on Ms. Haley, she promised to launch «the largest grassroots operation in the country and be present in all fifty states.»
AFP vowed to work on blocking Earlier this year, Trump, amid concerns about his election and after months of weighing his rivals, said he supported Haley because she «has what it takes to lead.»
But they face significant headwinds, with Mr. Trump leading among Republicans, with about 60 percent support from party voters in national polls.
Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Ms. Haley has about 12 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
However, the picture is a little more mixed in states with early voting, where many voters are still undecided and Trump's lead could be challenged.
Both Mr. DeSantis and Mr. , and Ms. Haley is hoping to upset Mr. Trump's front-runner status in Iowa.
AFP has already spent millions of dollars on advertising in the early states. One flyer in Iowa features images of Trump and Joe Biden and says, “You can stop Biden…by letting Trump go.”
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