South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley tells reporters she hopes 2016 presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz can win the Republican nomination.
“My hope and my prayer is that Senator Cruz can come through this and that he can push through and really get to where he needs to go because we do want a strong leader, we do want somebody that’s conservative, we do want somebody that’s action minded,” Haley told reporters in a press conference posted by The State newspaper.
She called former candidate Marco Rubio an “amazing public servant” who “tapped into so much of what people want in terms of the American Dream” She said however that “It obviously wasn’t his time.” Haley had endorsed Rubio ahead of her state’s primary contest. Rubio effectively tied Sen. Ted Cruz for second in South Carolina with Donald Trump taking first.
Asked if she will formally endorse, Haley responded that she didn’t think an official endorsement was really necessary.
When asked if she would support Donald Trump should he win the nomination, Haley said that from the beginning she said she would support the nominee and that’s what she will continue to say. “Ask me when the time comes again, but as of now I mean I strongly believe I’ll support the Republican nominee.”
Haley also refused to call for Ohio Gov. John Kasich to leave the race.
Rubio returned to the work on the Hill on Thursday declining to make an endorsement of any remaining candidates. The Florida senator left the race after a crushing loss in his home state to Trump.
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