President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign is ramping up efforts to persuade Nikki Haley voters to support the incumbent president in November, despite Haley’s formal endorsement of former President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
A Biden campaign official participated in a call on Wednesday night with a group of Haley supporters from various states, as confirmed by two sources to Scripps News. This is part of the campaign’s continuous outreach to Haley voters.
In addition to these calls, the Biden campaign is planning to hire a full-time staff member dedicated to engaging and organizing Republican voters on behalf of President Biden, according to a source familiar with the campaign’s strategy as shared with Scripps News. Campaign officials are also actively seeking endorsements for the president from prominent Republicans and other officials.
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However, not all Haley supporters are aligning with the Biden campaign. Krista Moore, chair of the Nikki Haley campaign’s North Carolina leadership team and the state’s “Women for Nikki” group, expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of Biden’s efforts to sway Haley voters.
“I don’t know any Nikki Haley supporters who are going to vote for Biden. I can’t name one,” Moore told Scripps News. “I’m deeply connected with the community, from ‘Women for Nikki’ and various social groups, and they’re either writing her in, voting for Trump or are still undecided. Biden isn’t even on their radar.”
The call on Wednesday, held shortly after Haley announced her decision to vote for Trump, was organized by the Haley Voters Working Group and was scheduled before her endorsement was made public.
Robert Schwartz, executive director of the pro-Haley group, described the participation of Biden campaign deputy political director Juan Peñalosa in the call with Haley supporters as a productive and interactive discussion.
During her remarks at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday afternoon, Haley highlighted Trump’s imperfections on conservative policies but reiterated her intention to vote for him.
Despite Haley’s endorsement of Trump, Schwartz viewed it as expected but somewhat disappointing. He noted that Haley’s supporters are making their own decisions and emphasized the need for Trump to work towards earning their votes.
According to Schwartz, the Trump campaign has a significant gap to close in terms of winning over Haley voters, including those who have reservations about supporting Trump based on his record.
