Koch Network-backed Americans for Prosperity has decided to stop funding Haley’s campaign, as announced on Sunday.
The setback transpires only one day following Haley’s defeat by Trump in her own South Carolina. Nikki Haley, a presidential candidate, has a watch party on election night. Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, a former governor of South Carolina, arrives in Charleston, South Carolina, on Saturday to give a speech at an election night watch party
Haley was defeated by former President Donald Trump on Saturday in her native state of South Carolina, where she had previously held the office of governor.
AFP pessimist about Haley nomination
An inquiry for response from Americans for Prosperity, or AFP, was not answered. Haley is devastated by the decision since she has vowed to keep fighting against Trump, who defeated her on Saturday by around 20 percentage points and won all but three delegates.
AFP used its extensive network of grassroots political organizers to assist Haley in garnering votes in early states, providing her with vital assistance on the ground. The company also lavished money on advertising in an attempt to accelerate her ascent. Data from the Federal Election Commission shows that AFP Action, a super PAC, invested almost $31 million to support Haley in the contest.
Contributors to Americans for Prosperity, which is run by Seidel and is the political branch of the wider Koch network, have pressured the organization to support a Republican primary contender in the hunt for Trump’s replacement.
Seidel stated that AFP Action was searching for the finest Republican “to turn the page on the current political era” when the organization backed Haley in November. Haley was the candidate, according to her, and no other organization was “better equipped to help her do it” than the group.
Nikki Haley’s Presidential Campaign Doomed by Koch Network
Nevertheless, a number of seasoned Koch-world insiders expressed doubts about the choice, believing she had little chance of being nominated. With Trump seemingly cruising toward his party’s presidential nomination, Haley’s road is now all but closed. According to Haley, Trump cannot defeat President Joe Biden.
Haley’s team issued a strong statement on Sunday, highlighting fresh funding figures to bolster the campaign going forward.
“AFP is a fantastic group and a valuable friend in the struggle for liberty and fiscal conservatism. Their invaluable assistance in this election is much appreciated,” the Haley campaign stated. “We have enough fuel to continue fighting, as evidenced by the more than $1 million that grassroots conservatives have contributed in the last 24 hours alone.”
Haley’s group also stated, “We need to save our country.”
According to a post made by Trump on Truth Social, the Koch network was played for suckers right from the beginning.
After AFP pledged a year ago to support a Trump alternative in order to halt the “downward spiral” in American politics, the statement on Sunday marked a dismal conclusion to the organization’s approach. Seidel stated on Sunday that although AFP was aware that the path “faced the longest odds” from the beginning, it “couldn’t sit on the sidelines” considering the stakes. She declared, “This organization exists to do hard things.”
As Trump’s hold on the campaign grew more difficult to ignore, the excitement that persisted through the beginning of the year and into New Hampshire seemed to wane.
In response to a question concerning AFP Action’s choice, a person knowledgeable on the matter stated that “they’d already made a commitment on January 8 with the TV buys” following the New Hampshire primary. Additionally, there was reasonable optimism that things might improve.
When the wave never came, that idea started to evaporate. “There was a sincere, objective perception that her campaign was still gaining traction, particularly after Donald Trump responded in such a manner to her success and refusal to give up,” the person stated. “That hope did not materialize.”