WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said Sunday that she no longer feels bound by an oath that required all GOP contenders to support the party’s eventual nominee in order to participate in primary debates.
The only one left in the race for the Republican Party nomination is former President Donald Trump. His statement would indicate that he is preparing to abandon the race for the White House because he has not won any state and the “Super Tuesday” election could be crucial for the candidate.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) had demanded that the oath be a prerequisite for all candidates and practically all the main candidates signed, except Donald Trump, the current favorite who has not attended the debates.
When Haley, the only remaining contender running against Trump, was asked on NBC’s “Meet the Press” if she felt obligated to keep that commitment, she responded: “No. “I think I’ll make the decision I want to make.”
He added that “the CNR is no longer the same CNR” as it was in the debates. She also maintains that she always had “serious concerns” about Trump, whom she served during his administration as ambassador to the UN.
The RNC is facing major changes, with chair Ronna McDaniel set to step down on Friday. McDaniel was Trump’s choice to lead the RNC shortly after the 2016 election, but there are now new appointments to lead that body. He announced his preference for North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley, a little-known veteran operative, to replace McDaniel. The former president’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, will be the committee’s co-chair.
Haley deflected questions about whether she would drop out of the race and eventually support Trump.
“Right now, my focus is: ‘How do we reach the most voters?’ How do we win?’” she said. “I want the American people to see that they don’t have to live like this. There is a way forward. And we can go through it with someone who can put in eight years, who can constantly focus on the results and not the negativity and the baggage that we have now.”
Source: With information from AP
