Friday, at the behest of former Virginia Governor and Republican National Committee
Chairman, Jim Gilmore CHQ Chairman Richard A. Viguerie joined a coalition of conservative leaders in a letter urging Nikki Haley to end her campaign for the Republican nomination for president.
The letter was respectful, but blunt:
While you have waged a spirited campaign for the 2024 Republican Party nomination, it is clear you cannot win the GOP nomination.
We applaud your efforts, but your candidacy is over.
Thus, for the sake of party unity, we call on you to get out of the race now.
In 1964, then-governor Nelson Rockefeller stayed in the race against Sen. Barry Goldwater too long, even when it was apparent he had lost the nomination. As a result, Rockefeller ended up hated by the rank and file of the GOP. Do you really want to become the Nelson Rockefeller of the 21st century?
Your continued criticism of the almost certain nominee is reducing the likelihood of the Republican candidate in November.
Please withdraw from the race now, endorse Donald Trump, and another year will beckon.
This action by you would the better part of valor.
As Governor Gilmore said, “It is time to unite the Republican Party, so we can begin the difficult, yet necessary task of uniting the country… Prolonged disunity helps no one, hurts everyone, and weakens our standing in the world. Americans deserve better.”
Joining Governor Gilmore and Mr. Viguerie on the letter were many old friends and longtime leaders of the conservative movement, including Morton Blackwell, Chairman, Conservative Leadership PAC; Kenneth Blackwel, Chairman, Conservative Action Project; Brent Bozell, Founder and President, Media Research Center; Dr. Shea Bradley-Farrell, President, Counterpoint Institute; Myron Ebell, Chairman, American Lands Council; Jenny Beth Martin, Chairman, Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund, Former Rep. Bob McEwen; The Honorable Ed Meese, Former Attorney General of the United States; Craig Shirley. Presidential Historian Reagan Biographer; R. Emmett Tyrrell, Publisher, The American Spectator.
While this letter was signed by many longtime leaders of the conservative movement, the view that Gov. Haley should drop out for the good of the party (and the country) is not limited to conservatives.
The Washington Post recently reported, that Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “I have seen enough. To beat Biden, Republicans need to unite around a single candidate, and it’s clear that President Trump is Republican voters’ choice.”
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) also took to X to say, “At this point Haley can either drop out or help the Democrats.”
Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), who had not previously backed a candidate in the primary, announced on X that she was endorsing Trump and that it was “time for the @GOP to unite” to defeat Biden.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R), who is from Haley’s home state and who long ago backed Trump, joined his fellow Republican Senators writing on X: “The sooner we unite, the better.”
The chorus of Republicans publicly calling for the party to rally behind Trump has only grown louder as the South Carolina primary approaches with Haley, the state’s former Governor, polling way behind former President Trump. Sen. Eric Schmitt (Mo.), Rep. Dan Bishop (N.C.) and Rep. Harriet Hageman (Wyo.) all recently declared the primary over in social media posts.
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