Nikki Haley has thrown in the towel on her 2024 presidential bid after winning just two Republican primaries.
“I have decided to suspend my campaign,” she announced at a sombre press conference on Wednesday morning.
Her exit leaves Donald Trump as the last man standing in the Republican field after he steamrolled Super Tuesday, clinching a string of victories.
Ms Haley did not throw her weight behind Mr Trump in her farewell speech on Wednesday.
Instead, she wished him well and said it was up to him “to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him”.
Ms Haley had a loyal base of supporters who had turned their backs on the former president, especially among college-educated voters. The big question now is whether her fans, who accounted for a quarter of Republican primary voters in some states, will rally behind Mr Trump.
On his social media platform Truth Social, Mr Trump mocked Ms Haley for getting “clobbered last night, in record breaking fashion”.
Ms Haley had portrayed herself as a breath of fresh air for the party and a chance to move on from Mr Trump but only managed to win Vermont and the District of Columbia in the primaries. The former president even beat her in South Carolina where she was a beloved governor.
Ms Haley said on Wednesday she stayed in the race because she wanted to “give Americans a voice” and “I have done that”.
“I have no regrets,” she said.
In her brief speech, the former UN ambassador highlighted the policy issues she had focused on during her campaign, such as the economy, the danger of socialism, and global conflict.
“Our national debt will eventually ruin our economy,” she said. “Our world is in chaos because of America’s withdrawal. Standing by our allies in Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan is a moral duty.”
On Super Tuesday Mr Trump trounced Ms Haley by double-digit margins in several states, including Texas and California, the two states with the most delegates.
Her departure clears the way for Mr Trump to secure the Republican nomination this month unopposed and face off with Joe Biden in November.
Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell – who had not backed any candidate – swiftly endorsed Mr Trump after Ms Haley’s announcement. The two have clashed in the past, but Mr McConnell said it was “crystal clear” Mr Trump had won the support of the party.
Some slammed Ms Haley for refusing to endorse Mr Trump, including Penny Nance, the leader of the conservative Concerned Women for America group. She argued Mr Trump was the best bet to beat the Democrats.
“If [Haley] is not on board with that, her motives are obvious and conservatives will never forgive or forget,” she said.
Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, on the other hand, praised Ms Haley for a “tough campaign”.
Mr Biden was quick to court the former South Carolina governor’s supporters after her announcement.
“It takes a lot of courage to run for President – that’s especially true in today’s Republican Party, where so few dare to tell the truth about Donald Trump,” he said of Ms Haley. “Donald Trump made it clear he doesn’t want Nikki Haley’s supporters. I want to be clear: There is a place for them in my campaign.” In a statement on Tuesday night, before she quit the race, her campaign said it was “honoured” she had become the first Republican woman to win two presidential primary contests.
“There is still a large bloc of Republican primary voters who are deeply worried about Donald Trump.
“That is not the unity our party needs for success. Addressing those voters’ concerns will make the Republican Party and America stronger.”