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“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves,” Jesus Christ warned his followers. “You will know them by their fruits.”
That admonition sprang to my mind as the “fruits” of former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley‘s aborted 2024 presidential bid have begun making themselves known. A Tea Partier in another political lifetime, Haley became a de facto Democrat during the late stages of her “Republican” primary campaign against former U.S. president Donald Trump.
How do we know this? Because money talks …
An erstwhile conservative, Haley used Democratic cash to court Democratic votes in a bid to weaken Trump in the primary. And since leaving the race, she’s aided the Democratic nominee by going back on her pledge to endorse the eventual GOP standard-bearer.
The latest evidence? Haley, a for-profit-warmongerer and opportunistic flip-flopper, is now sitting on the sidelines as her donors and top establishment backers rally to the banner of U.S. president Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris.
“Haley donors join team Biden-Harris to beat Donald Trump,” a release from the incumbent president’s reelection campaign noted. “Donald Trump has made it clear: he doesn’t want Nikki Haley supporters in his Republican Party. And as Trump attacks Haley and her supporters, it’s exposing how Trump is not building the coalition needed to win 270 electoral votes.”
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Actually, for months swing state polling has consistently shown it is Biden – not Trump – who is struggling to build a coalition necessary to win 270 electoral votes. The incumbent is still trailing his challenger in critical battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada – all states Biden won in 2020. Also, recent polls show Trump tied or narrowly ahead of Biden in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, too.
Haley donors are eager to help Biden out, though. One of them – former Hollywood executive Harry Sloan – recently agreed to “raise money for Biden’s reelection effort and try to reel in Republican-aligned business leaders to get behind the president.”
“Sloan is among at least half a dozen former Haley bundlers who have decided to help Biden — and not Trump — since Haley ended her campaign,” noted CNBC reporter Brian Schwartz.
Curiously, though, Schwartz’s report noted Sloan has previously given to both Biden and his political action committee, Future Forward. Which raises questions as to whether his decision to continue backing the president financial is all that newsworthy.
What is worth noting? Haley’s former national co-chairwoman, former U.S. congresswoman Barbara Comstock, is backing a #NeverTrump political action committee that’s planning to spending $50 million on a campaign highlighting “100 former Trump voters who refuse to support him again in 2024.”
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Helping to bankroll that campaign? Democratic mega-donor Reid Hoffman – who was one of Haley’s top financial backers in the GOP primary. Hoffman wasn’t alone. According to reporters Jessica Piper and Zach Montellaro of Politico, “more than 5,200 donors to Biden’s 2020 campaign have backed Haley financially, including roughly 1,600 who gave more than $500,000 in January (2024) alone.”
Piper and Montellaro referred to these numbers as “especially striking because Haley is currently running in the Republican primary to be the nominee to take on Biden in November.”
Especially striking? More like hardly surprising …
As Haley approached her zenith as a “Republican” contender three months ago, Trump backers began sounding the alarm – warning the former president not to consider her as his No. 2 in the upcoming general election. Haley’s leverage over Trump for the veep slot didn’t last long, though. Her early state momentum collapsed as quickly as it appeared – and massive infusions of liberal money couldn’t revive her moribund bid.
How will Haley’s Democratic backing – and overt Democratic appeals – play the next time she seeks the GOP nomination?
Good question. Trump’s former United Nations ambassador has been eerily quiet following the emphatic drubbing Trump administered to her on Super Tuesday – but it’s clear her money (or rather the money that propped up her campaign) is talking.
What’s it saying?
“I was ridin’ with Biden all along …”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina and before that he was a bass guitarist and dive bar bouncer. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven (soon to be eight) children.
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9 comments
Nikki has cash!?!
Can my broke ass borrow some???
How can she afford that huge house???
She has no income except campaign
Not long ago she was selling clothes
was US ambassador only a few years .
Someone should review the closing docs . If purchased or secured loan during her term as Ambassador it should be reviewed
I have been wondering about that as well
Maybe from her Boeing Board of Directors gig that she got after bringing them to SC?
If you think this is odd, just look at Congress where everyone who starts out with nothing is a millionaire after a term or two. Look at Bathhouse Barry and Big Mike, what are they worth even discounting their “book deals”. Even Hunter Biden makes money without a job, he earns a living by selling his paintings.
Nikki has turned into a political loser.
She has my vote if she runs as independent – all existing choices are nuts. So many liberals, where is the conservative option(s)?
If you’re voting for an independent, you might as well stay home and let the line move faster.
Very sad – but true.