'Just say no': Internet weighs in as Nikki Haley won't say she'll back Trump if he wins GOP nomination despite earlier pledge

WASHINGTON, DC: Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley would not explicitly state whether she would support former President Donald Trump in the event of his emergence as the definitive party nominee for President, despite the pledge she made last year, reported New York Post.

In a conversation with ABC News's 'This Week' on Sunday, February 18. the former UN ambassador said, "I'm running against him because I don't think he should be President. I don't think he's the right person at the right time."

"The last thing on my mind is who I'm going to support," she continued and added, "The only thing on my mind is how we're going to win this."

Despite failing to gain a lead against Trump, Haley's latest remarks indicate her backing off from her earlier pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee. 

Based on a July 2023 report by The Hill, Haley stated, "I would support him [Trump] because I am not going to have a President Kamala Harris. We can't afford that. That is not going to happen."

Former GOP presidential hopefuls, including biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, endorsed Trump after suspending their campaigns, leaving Haley as the sole GOP opponent.

Nikki Haley argues Donald Trump will not win if he is GOP nominee

According to The Hill, reiterating her pledge to continue in the race and prevent Trump's second chance to enter the Oval Office, Haley stated, "If Donald Trump is the nominee for the Republican Party, he will not win. Every poll shows that. He will not win, and we will have a president Kamala Harris."

The former South Carolina Governor refused to answer openly as host Jonathan Karl pressed whether it meant she would endorse Trump.

"That means I'm going to run and I'm going to win, and y'all can talk about support later," Haley reiterated and added she "highly" doubts Trump would support her when she is the nominee.

Further into the interview, the White House hopeful also weighed in on the ex-president endorsing his daughter-in-law Lara Trump for RNC co-chair. She criticized the move, saying it could turn the "almost broke" committee into a "piggy bank for Trump's legal fees."

The former South Carolina governor further expressed her worry about the future of NATO allies if Trump is re-elected in light of his recent controversial remarks to abandon "delinquent" NATO allies from a Russian attack.

Haley will next face Trump in her home state, South Carolina's primary, on February 24, where the latter leads with a dominant majority.

Internet reacts

Netizens had mixed opinions about Haley's refusal to openly declare the possibility of her Trump endorsement if he becomes the GOP nominee. While some demanded her to refuse the support, others indicated that she should endorse him if she wanted to stay in the party.

One user said, "How easy would it have been to just say no I won’t support him."

Another user opined, "This is costing her in the Never Trump cohort though. They are afraid if she does eventually endorse him, it's building a permission structure for Trump. I think she'd have gotten blanket endorsements from them all otherwise. Possibly helped with indies and dems."

While one user remarked, "She will, if she want to remain active in politics."

"You know she don't want to support trump, but if she wants to stay in the party she'll have to," another user added.

Whereas one response read, "I swear if she endorses him... There is no bottom to the depravity of the Republican party."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.