Less than a day after she was smashed by Donald Trump in her own state, and four weeks after billionaire Democrat Reid Hoffman said 'no more,' the Koch brothers' pet advocacy group, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) have pulled the plug on Nikki Haley.
In an email to staff obtained by Politico AFP CEO Emily Seidel announced on Sunday that the group's political arm, AFP Action, had to "take stock" of its spending priorities in light of Haley's South Carolina defeat.
The group, which is funded by the Kochs, will now pivot to competitive Senate and House races.
"She has made it clear that she will continue to fight and we wholeheartedly support her in this effort," Seidel wrote. "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."
AFP Action’s decision is the latest blow to Haley’s longshot presidential bid, which has sustained losses in four early nominating states and the Virgin Islands, including on Saturday, when former President Donald Trump beat Haley in her home state by 20 points. Haley declared she will continue on in her primary fight, but has only committed to running through Super Tuesday on March 5. -Politico
The never-Trump Koch/AFP campaign has focused on convincing Republicans to vote for anyone but the former president. In late November, when it was clear Ron DeSantis wasn't going to go the distance, the political funding network tapped Haley as their choice to take on Trump. Yet, despite reaching out to more than 3 million voters in early nominating and Super Tuesday states - and tossing millions into a fire for advertising, it made no difference.
That said, while another anti-Trump conservative group, Club for Growth, made peace with Trump, AFP maintains that Trump on the ballot will spell disaster for the GOP.
"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," according to Seidel's Sunday note. "The last three 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 also brought up Trump's legal woes in the context of Republicans underperforming, writing "And we should expect this to increase further as the criminal trials progress."
Haley spokeswomaan Olivia Perez-Cubas thanked AFP for supporting the campaign, which she says has "plenty of fuel to keep going" and a "country to save."
"AFP is a great organization and ally in the fight for freedom and conservative government," said Perez-Cubas. "We thank them for their tremendous help in this race."
Sorry Nikki, they're just not into you.
