In an email to workers acquired by CNN, the prominent network connected with billionaire Charles Koch said that it will shift its attention from supporting former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley in the Republican presidential primary to important elections for the congressional and state legislatures.
“With the South Carolina presidential primary this weekend and the Senate engagement really heating up, it’s time to take stock of where we are and – as we always do – make sure we’re optimizing our resources for maximum impact towards our goals,” Americans for Prosperity President and CEO Emily Seidel wrote.
As a leading Republican challenger to former President Trump in the November primary, Haley received a huge boost with the endorsement of Americans for Prosperity Action. In support of the ex-UN ambassador, the conservative organization used its enormous resources and standing army of activists.
This was the first time the organization had ever promised to support a single candidate in the GOP presidential primary. After a decisive win in Haley’s home state on Saturday, the contest has narrowed down to Trump and Haley, but Trump maintains his lead.
After deciding not to spend money to promote Haley’s campaign, Seidel wrote that she “has shown us again and again that we made the right decision in supporting her candidacy and she continues to have our strong endorsement.” This means that AFP Action is still behind Haley.
“She has made it clear that she will continue to fight and we wholeheartedly support her in this effort. 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,” she added.
The campaign spokesperson for Haley, Olivia Perez-Cubas, expressed gratitude to AFP for their support and highlighted that there is “plenty of fuel to keep going” since Haley has promised to remain in the race for president.
“AFP is a great organization and ally in the fight for freedom and conservative government. We thank them for their tremendous help in this race. Our fight continues, and with more than $1 million coming in from grassroots conservatives in just the last 24 hours, we have plenty of fuel to keep going. We have a country to save,” Perez-Cubas said in a statement to CNN.
First reported by Politico was the network’s decision. The network had previously stated that it would be investing heavily in the Senate, claiming that a Senate flip was the strongest defense against a total Democratic takeover of the nation’s capital.
By endorsing Haley last year, the group made it apparent that it would not be embracing Trump in its pursuit of a president “who represents a new chapter.”
“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,” Seidel warned in her Sunday email, adding, “We should expect this to increase further as the criminal trials progress.”
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