South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley unenthusiastically reaffirmed her support for Donald Trump this week, admitting that the decision to back the Republican presidential nominee has not been an easy one.
“This election has turned my stomach upside down,” she told reporters Wednesday while speaking about the state’s Hurricane Matthew recovery efforts. “It has been embarrassing for both parties. It’s not something that the country deserves, but it’s what we’ve got.”
“This is no longer a choice for me on personalities, because I’m not a fan other either one,” she continued. “What it is about is policy. And as a governor, of this state, knowing what our state’s needs are and knowing the processes that are going to take place, there’s a few things that worry me.”
Mrs. Haley cited regulations handed down by the Environmental Protection Agency, National Labor Relations Board, Health and Human Services and the Department of Education, which she said have caused “a lot of heartache” in South Carolina.
“Whether it’s been the Supreme Court justices — we’ve got a lot of cases in play that we think are going to be an issue and this next presidential candidate is going to matter and the person who eventually takes on — I can’t say enough about national security,” she said. “When you look at how our military’s been depleted, when you look at the fact that we have not been aggressive enough and not challenged enough of what the real threat is, that’s going to be important.
“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. “That doesn’t mean it’s an easy vote, 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 Nov. 8.”
Mrs. Haley ended her remarks by saying the country is looking forward to the election being over.
“I think it’s been 18 months of a brutal back and forth,” she said. “I think it’s been 18 months of a lot of off-topic issues.”
Mrs. Haley first supported Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in the 2016 presidential race, and then switched her support to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz after Mr. Rubio dropped out in March. In May, the governor signaled her support for Mr. Trump after he emerged as the clear front-runner.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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