Nikki Haley was once perceived by many Republicans as their hope for redeeming a party that had been taken over by a morally corrupt, lying and craven narcissist. Donald Trump, she declared, exhibited “everything I taught my children not to do in kindergarten.”
But by announcing Wednesday that she will be voting for Trump after spending months skewering him as “unfit for office,” “unhinged,” “diminished” and a chaos agent, she proved what many Americans believe: You can’t trust politicians, especially Trump-supporting ones.
By prioritizing career over country, Haley extinguished any hope that she might emerge as a party bulwark to an authoritarian regime if Trump is returned to the White House. She has squandered the little credibility she had left after raising her hand in a Republican debate when asked if she would support Trump as the party’s nominee even if he were a convicted felon.
And she left us with the clearest window yet into her character. We now know she lacks the courage needed to lead a misdirected and fractured party, let alone a divided nation.
Remember when Haley said, “I don’t put up with bullies?” She’s just told us she’s voting for one to lead the most powerful nation in the world. Remember when she ended her campaign in February without endorsing Trump and said, “I feel no need to kiss the ring.” She’s just left that ring with a nice big lipstick smudge. Remember when she told Trump to “earn the votes of those in our party and beyond who did not support him?” Trump never retreated from the policy issues on which she clashed with him — his opposition to support for Ukraine, his threat to let Putin attack NATO allies and his dehumanizing refusal to embrace a border deal.