South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is reaffirming her support for Donald Trump, vowing to vote for the GOP nominee despite his attacks on her earlier this year.
“That doesn’t mean it’s an easy vote,” Haley, a Republican, said at a news conference on Wednesday. “But it does mean that I’m watching out for the people of South Carolina and I’m watching out for the people of this country, and that’s who I will be voting for on November 8.”
Haley drew the ire of Trump earlier this year after she endorsed Sen. Marco Rubio in the GOP nominating contest.
“The people of South Carolina are embarrassed by Nikki Haley!” Trump tweeted at the time. (Haley’s response over Twitter: “Bless your heart.”)
Trump easily won the state’s primary in February. After Rubio dropped out, Haley said her “hope and prayer” was that Texas Sen. Ted Cruz would become the next president.
Since then, Haley has said that she intends to vote for Trump, but her support has been tepid. On Wednesday, Haley said the 2016 campaign has left her disgusted.
“I think I’ve been really clear. This election has turned my stomach upside down,” she said. “It has been embarrassing for both parties. It’s not something that the country deserves, but it’s what we’ve got.”
“Having said that, what I will tell you is that this is no longer a choice for me on personalities because I’m not a fan of either one,” she added, referring to Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. “What it is about is policy.”
Haley said that when it comes to political appointments, nominations to the Supreme Court and a host of other issues, Trump is the better choice.
“So when I look at all of those, I come back to say that the best person based on the policies, and dealing with things like Obamacare, still is Donald Trump,” she said.
