Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is suspending her presidential campaign after a disappointing showing on Super Tuesday, in which she managed to in just one state, Vermont.
The suspension of her campaign was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. She is not expected to offer an official endorsement of rival Donald Trump, but will instead encourage Trump to “earn” the votes of her supporters.
The announcement of Haley’s departure prompted a range of memes and jokes online.
“Nikki Haley is aborting her run for President because her campaign is not viable, but should be forced to carry it to term,” quipped one X user, an abortion reference that was similarly used after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out.
“Nikki Haley is aborting her run for President because her campaign is not viable, but should be forced to carry it to term,” wrote one person.
“Now that she’s dropped out this is the only thing on Nikki Haley’s mind,” another Democratic user claimed, along with a montage of Haley mentioning Vice President Kamala Harris’ name.
One pro-Trump user mocked the announcement with an image of Trump towering above Haley on a fake TIME magazine cover that read “TIME for your ass to go home.”
“Liza Minnelli has outlived Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign,” wrote the X account LizaMinelliOutlives. “She has dropped out of the race.”
“Nikki Haley’s campaign today,” wrote another pro-Trump user, along with a video of a structure collapsing.
In a statement posted to Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump criticized his former ambassador to the United Nations.
“Nikki Haley got TROUNCED last night, in record setting fashion, despite the fact that Democrats, for reasons unknown, are allowed to vote in Vermont, and various other Republican primaries,” he said, referring to states with open primaries. “Much of her money came from Radical Left Democrats, as did many of her voters, almost 50%, according to the polls.”
“At this point, I hope she stays in the ‘race’ and fights it out until the end!” he continued, before adding that he’d like to “invite all of the Haley supporters to join the greatest movement in the history of our Nation.”
