Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley formally suspended her presidential campaign on Wednesday following her string of losses on Super Tuesday.
Haley expressed gratitude that her mother, a first generation immigrant, had the opportunity to vote for her daughter for president but said it is now time to suspend her campaign.
“I am filled with gratitude for the outpouring of support we’ve received from all across our great country. But the time is now come to suspend my campaign. I said I wanted Americans to have their voices heard. I have done that. I have no regrets,” she said, explaining that she will continue to use her voice for things she believes in.
Haley briefly reiterated her belief that the national debt will “eventually crush our economy” and said a “smaller federal government is not only necessary for our freedom; it is necessary for our survival.”
“The road to socialism is the road to ruin for America. Our Congress is dysfunctional and only getting worse. It is filled with followers, not leaders. Term limits for Washington politicians are needed now more than ever,” she said, emphasizing that she believes it is crucial for America to stand by allies in “Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan,” deeming it a “moral imperative.”
“We must bind together as Americans. we must turn away from the darkness of hatred and division. I will continue to promote all those values as is the right of every American,” she continued. “I sought the honor of being your president, but in our great country, being a private citizen is privileged enough in itself.”
Haley fell short of endorsing former President Donald Trump after spending weeks on the campaign trail attacking him, but she admitted that “in all likelihood Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee when our party convention meets in July.”
“I congratulate him and wish him well. I wish anyone well who would be America’s president. Our country is too precious to let our differences divide us,” Haley said, deeming herself a “conservative Republican” and referencing Margaret Thatcher.
“It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him,” Haley said. “And I hope he does that.”
Haley exits the race winning only two primary contests during her campaign — one in the Washington, DC, swamp and the other in Vermont.