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Kevin McCarthy said that he hopes former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley will play a prominent role in the future of the Republican Party even if she loses the 2024 presidential nomination to former President Donald Trump.
The former Republican House speaker said during an appearance on Fox News Tuesday night that he anticipates Haley, former U.N. ambassador for Trump's administration in 2017, will end her 2024 campaign following Trump's overwhelming success on Super Tuesday.
McCarthy was not short of praise for Haley, however, telling hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum that he believes Haley has run a "tremendous campaign."
"Nikki Haley has a bright future because either one of the two men who are up for the nomination this time to win can only serve one term," McCarthy said, referring to Trump and President Joe Biden.
"So I think she has a very bright future and I would hope she'd be part of the future administration," he added.
The Context
Haley is the last remaining GOP challenger to Trump's reelection bid, but has only managed to defeat the ex-president in two primary races, losing by double digits to Trump in every other contest so far.
She has remained adamant throughout the losses that her campaign refuses to quit, saying in a speech last month days before the primary in her home state that she feels "no need to kiss the ring" and cave to Trump's pressure.
"I have no fear of Trump's retribution," Haley said. "I'm not looking for anything from him. My own political future is of zero concern."
Haley's presidential bid has made a mark on the Republican Party, however, with some political consultants describing Trump as underperforming in several primary races when compared to what was expected in preliminary polls.
What We Know
Haley has no public events planned following Super Tuesday's results, and McCarthy told Fox News that it was a sign that her "campaign is going to come to a close, but it is not the close for Nikki Haley."
"She is still standing, she's been getting 30 percent most places," McCarthy continued. "So that means she has a big voice in this party."
"She did a tremendous job at the U.N., she [was] very capable of her job as governor, she has a great force across this nation and she can help unite this party," he continued. "And I think it would be upon her to find the way where you can find common ground."
"This is an opportunity to put the country before yourself," McCarthy added.
Views
Haley went into Super Tuesday week resisting calls for her to team up with Trump. She told NBC News on Sunday that she no longer feels bound to the Republican National Committee (RNC) pledge that she signed prior to the debates, which included a vow to support the party's nominee even if she didn't win.
"I think I'll make what decision I want to make," Haley said, adding that she thinks "the RNC is now not the same RNC" that it was at the time of debates in the fall, and that she has "serious concerns" regarding the former president.
But other Republicans spoke out Tuesday night, asking Haley to end her campaign run and endorse Trump, including both top federal lawmakers in her home state.
"Nikki's done better than anybody in the history of South Carolina," South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, an avid supporter of Trump, told CNN Tuesday.
"She's a talented person. I hope she can support President Trump," he added.
Fellow South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, who ran in the GOP primary but dropped out and endorsed the former president in November, also sent a message to Haley while appearing on Fox News, saying, "Thank you for running. You've been courageous, you've been strong ... It is now time to join the future of this country be fusing your voters with Trump's voters and beating Joe Biden."
"To the voters who supported Nikki Haley—thank you for voting," Scott added. "It is time to coalesce around the future of America. A future that is represented by Donald Trump."
Newsweek reached out to Haley's campaign via email for comment late Tuesday night.
What's Next?
Super Tuesday's results largely solidified that Trump and Biden will be their parties' nominees ahead of November. According to the Associated Press, Trump has secured 582 delegates for the RNC's nomination, while Biden has 593 delegates for the Democratic nod.
Update 03/06/24, 12:18 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.
About the writer
Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus is reporting on national ... Read more