Koch-Backed Super PAC Will No Longer Contribute To Nikki Haley’s Campaign
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Americans for Prosperity Action, the super PAC backed by the billionaire Koch brothers, on Sunday announced they would stop spending on GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s campaign following her defeat in the South Carolina primary.
The former South Carolina governor has vowed to stay in the race until at least Super Tuesday despite her loss to GOP front-runner Donald Trump in her home state Saturday by over 20 percentage points.
Emily Seidel, the president and CEO of AFP Action, said that while the group still stands behind its endorsement of Haley, which they describe as “by far the best candidate to turn the page on our dysfunctional politics and take our country in a new, positive direction,” they no longer believe spending their resources on her candidacy could change the trajectory of the race.
Haley “has made it clear that she will continue to fight and we wholeheartedly support her in this effort,” Seidel said in an email to staff, first reported by Politico. “But given the challenges in the primary states ahead, we don’t believe any outside group can make a material difference to widen her path to victory.”
The group still believes that if “Donald Trump is at the top of the Republican ticket, the risk of one-party rule by a Democratic Party captured by the Progressive Left is severe and would do irreparable damage to the country,” Seidel said.
“The last 3 election cycles have painted a very clear picture of what we can expect from voters who consistently rejected Donald Trump and his impact on the Republican party brand,” she said, adding that AFP Action will now shift its attention to down-ballot races in the House and Senate, where they believe they make a difference.
“The most important — and hardest — thing we may need to do is convince millions of voters who will never cast a ballot for Donald Trump to vote for Republican candidates for Senate and House who will advance our shared principles,” Seidel wrote.
Sunday’s announcement represents a setback for Haley as she continues her long-shot campaign against Trump. The group’s decision to endorse her in November gave her momentum ahead of the first primary nominating contests.
Still, Haley failed to get traction to pose enough of a challenge to Trump.
Haley’s campaign on Sunday said they were grateful for the support they received from AFP Action, adding that they still have enough money to stay in the primary.
“We thank them for their tremendous help in this race,” the campaign said in a statement. “Our fight continues, and with more than $1 million coming in from grass-roots conservatives in just the last 24 hours, we have plenty of fuel to keep going. We have a country to save.”
AFP Action spent tens of millions of dollars on Haley’s White House bid, according to The New York Times, though the exact amount remains unclear. The group had already cut back its spending on the former U.N. ambassador after she finished second in New Hampshire, the Times added.
Meanwhile, Trump appeared to celebrate the development with a post on his Truth Social platform.
“CHARLES KOCH AND HIS GROUP GOT PLAYED FOR SUCKERS RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING!” Trump wrote.
The former president, however, faces his own challenges in the contest as a significant chunk of Republican primary voters reject his candidacy, as evidenced in Saturday’s results.
Haley said, “40% is not some tiny group. There are a huge number of voters in our Republican primary who want an alternative.”
