Nikki Haley bags Koch endorsement in bid to replace Donald Trump

The political arm of the influential Koch network, Americans for Prosperity, formally endorsed Nikki Haley‘s presidential campaign on Tuesday.

Nikki Haley bags Koch endorsement in bid to replace Donald Trump

Nikki Haley has received financial and organizational support from the political network established by the billionaire industrialist brothers Charles and David Koch, giving her an advantage over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the race to unseat former President Donald J. Trump.

It pledged to dedicate its vast network of activists and virtually unlimited funds to aiding Haley in defeating former President Donald Trump in the G.O.P. primary.

The network of billionaire Charles Koch has raised millions of dollars to assist Republicans in pushing past Donald Trump.

But the ex-president leads the rest of the field as party members prepare to select their preferred candidate in January.

This endorsement might change the contest result for Mrs. Haley with Koch’s support.

Nikki Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations under former President Donald Trump, is still behind him by 50 points.

Those looking for an alternative to Mr Trump now have optimism due to Haley, who performed splendidly in the T.V. debate and advanced early voting states.

Several prominent donors have recently stated that they will support her over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose campaign is fading despite him now polling second.

The memo from Emily Seidel, a senior adviser to Americans for Prosperity Action, states, “In sharp contrast to recent elections that were dominated by the negative baggage of Donald Trump and in which good candidates lost races that should have been won, Nikki Haley, at the top of the ticket, would boost candidates up and down the ballot,”

The memo stated that Ms. Haley would win “the key independent and moderate voters that Trump has no chance to win.”

It continued stating that the country “is being ripped apart by extremes on both sides.” It added, “The moment we face requires a tested leader with the governing judgement and policy experience to pull our nation back from the brink. Nikki Haley is that leader.”

The political advocacy group praised Mrs. Haley as “a candidate capable of turning the page on Washington‘s toxic culture – and a candidate who can win.”

In a statement, Ms. Haley said, “I’m honoured to have the support of Americans for Prosperity Action, including its millions of grassroots members all across the country. A.F.P. Action’s members know that there is too much at stake in this election to sit on the sidelines.”

She added, “We have a country to save, and I’m grateful to have AFP Action by our side.”

However, the Trump campaign brushed aside the endorsement, claiming that Mrs. Haley wouldn’t win with any amount of “shady money” from “the political arm of the China First, America Last movement.”

On Wednesday, the front-runner Republican declared online, “These losers have fought me from 2016 to the present.”

In the final weeks before voting, Ms. Haley’s momentum is further strengthened by the support of the Koch network.

It is also a major disadvantage for Mr. DeSantis, who is trying to convince donors that he is the only candidate to defeat Mr. Trump if the race eventually comes down to the former president and another player.

Americans for Prosperity Action has been one of the nation’s biggest spenders on anti-Trump materials this year, purchasing online advertisements and distributing mailers to voters in multiple states, such as Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

The organization has made independent expenditures against Mr. Trump, totalling over $9 million.