Nikki Haley to exit US Republican presidential race: Report

NEW DELHI: Indian-American candidate Nikki Haley is expected to announce her exit from Republican presidential primary bid, according to the Wall Street Journal.
If Haley drops out of the race, it will ensure that Donald Trump will win the Republican nomination and once again face Democratic President Joe Biden in November’s election.
Haley is expected to make an appearance to deliver brief remarks around 10 am ET and made her decision after Super Tuesday, the report said.
This decision comes as US President Joe Biden from the Democratic Party and his Republican predecessor Donald Trump emerged victorious in their parties’ presidential nomination primaries held in 15 states across the US.
Trump, 77, has established a significant lead in the delegate count over his only Republican opponent, Haley, 52, following the Super Tuesday election results. While Trump secured impressive victories in Texas, California, and 11 other states, Haley managed to win in Vermont, denying him a full sweep.
Although the 15 states that voted on Tuesday did not have enough delegates for Trump to secure the party’s nomination, he has moved closer to achieving it.
Super Tuesday marked the largest haul of delegates on the 2024 primary calendar, with over a third of all Republican delegates at stake. To secure the Republican presidential nomination, a candidate needs 1,215 delegates, who are elected during the primaries. As of now, Trump has 244 delegates, while Haley has 86.
On the other hand, seeking re-election, Biden, 81, emerged victorious in almost all the Democratic primary states, except for American Samoa, where he was defeated by Jason Palmer. However, this defeat is unlikely to hinder Biden’s path to securing the Democratic nomination.
Super Tuesday is a crucial phase of the presidential primaries where voters from multiple states cast their ballots on the same date. With the exception of Vermont, the results were largely in favor of Trump, with the winning margin being approximately one per cent.
(With agency inputs)