Republicans who are waiting for Donald Trump to reach out to Nikki Haley’s supporters to unite the party may have a while to wait yet, if the former president’s comments today are any indication.
GOP insiders tell me Trump will need to get out of his own way to appeal to Nikki Haley’s supporters, but he seems determined to alienate as many of these voters as possible.
Asked about attempts to unify the party and bring more moderate voters into the MAGA fold, Trump insisted Haley’s voters will get on board — not that he needs them.
“They’re going to all vote for me again,” Trump told reporters. “I’m not sure we need too many.”
Trump says he doesn’t need Nikki Haley voters: I’m not sure we need too many pic.twitter.com/E48IBBMdtx
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) March 6, 2024
(Note the video was shared on X by the Biden-Harris HQ, as the Democratic campaign has had the sense to issue its own even-keeled appeal to this bloc of moderate voters that is up for grabs.)
While Trump made an appeal for party unity in his speech on Tuesday, he showed little concern for bridging intraparty divisions in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday: “Nikki Haley got TROUNCED last night, in record setting fashion, despite the fact that Democrats, for reasons unknown, are allowed to vote in Vermont, and various other Republican Primaries.”
He did ultimately go on to extend a gracious invitation to Haley’s supporters to “join the greatest movement in the history of our nation.”
It seems an adviser to a super PAC that supported Haley may have been spot on in telling me: “Whatever it is that he has to do, I think he is completely unwilling — and in many instances unable — to get himself to do what it takes.”