Former President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that anyone who donates to rival candidate Nikki Haley would not be welcome among MAGA supporters, while the former South Carolina governor touted the recent contributions to her campaign.
“When I ran for Office and won, I noticed that the losing Candidate’s ‘Donors’ would immediately come to me, and want to ‘help out.’ This is standard in Politics, but no longer with me,” he posted on Truth Social. “Anybody that makes a ‘Contribution’ to Birdbrain, from this moment forth, will be permanently barred from the MAGA camp. We don’t want them, and will not accept them, because we Put America First, and ALWAYS WILL!”
Trump secured convincing victories in the Iowa and New Hampshire GOP primaries, leading to all but two other candidates dropping from the race. He’s now increasingly on the offensive to shut down the campaign of his main remaining challenger as he seeks a return to the White House in 2024.
Haley, who also served as the ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, has vowed to continue her campaign despite long-shot odds and a perceptible gathering of support behind the former president.
The back-to-back primary victories have led to numerous Republicans endorsing Trump, even some who have been critical of him in the past. After suspending campaigns against Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy endorsed Trump. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who said last May that “Trump’s time had passed him by,” backed the candidate just two days after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) offered his support.
Haley has climbed the ladder from the basement of the GOP field in recent months, but her rise has not shaken donors from backing Trump. However, reporting by Politico in August 2022 showed that Haley attracted several high-dollar donors, including some big GOP contributors.
The report, based on an income tax filing provided to Politico by Documented, a nonprofit watchdog group, shows that Haley received money from New York hedge fund manager Paul Singer, investor Stanley Druckenmiller, and Miriam Adelson and her late husband, casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. Suzanne Youngkin, the wife of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, former Pennsylvania Senate candidate and hedge fund executive David McCormick, and Vivek and Lakshmi Garipalli, are all listed as large-sum donors to the Haley campaign.
After Trump’s remarks on Wednesday, Haley responded on X, writing “Well in that case… donate here. Let’s Go!” and linking her online fundraising page.
At a rally in her home state later that evening, Haley said she had received $100 million in donations since giving her speech in New Hampshire.
“We have had 200 thousand donors from all 50 states,” she said, per Fox News. “Ninety-five percent of those donations are $200 or less.”
CBS News exit polling in New Hampshire suggests that Trump remains popular across a wide swath of the electorate, winning with both men and women, white and non-white voters, and across age groups. Haley found the most support from independent, college-educated voters with an income above $100,000.
Political strategist Ryan Williams told Fox News that Haley is “trying to manufacture momentum to keep the race going. She needed a win in New Hampshire and she didn’t get it. This race is all but decided. Raising a million dollars in the first 24 hours after New Hampshire is a nice talking point, but it really doesn’t amount to much. The race has essentially been won by Trump at this point.”
Nevada and the U.S. Virgin Islands will hold the next primaries, but neither contest will be a definitive moment for either campaign. The next major primary will be South Carolina, Haley’s home state, which will hold its nominating election on February 24. Trump secured 32 delegates in the first two contests out of the 1,215 needed to win the nomination. Haley has just 17 after the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries.
Texas businessman and pastor Ryan Binkley remains in the running for GOP nominee, but he has little name recognition and is not viewed as presenting much competition for either Trump or Haley. So far, his appearance on the ballot has been a non-factor in the first two primaries. However, he will be Trump’s only opponent in the Nevada caucus, as Haley has opted to skip the caucus in favor of the Nevada primary.
