American Business Leaders Begin to Support Republican Nominee Nikki Haley
TL/DR –
More US business leaders are rallying behind Republican presidential hopeful and former South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley. Key figures including Charles Koch and Jamie Dimon, as well as a growing number of entrepreneurs, view Haley as a more stable choice than Donald Trump and more favorable to businesses than current President Joe Biden. Haley advocates for fiscal discipline, tax cuts, and incrementally returning to balanced budgets.
Nikki Haley Emerges as Business Leaders’ Choice for Republican Presidential Nominee
Increasingly, US business magnates are voicing support for ex-South Carolina governor Nikki Haley as Republican presidential candidate. Haley is favorably perceived as being more business-friendly than incumbent Joe Biden, while being more stable than rival Donald Trump.
“Support Nikki Haley, even if you’re a staunch Democrat. We need a more stable Republican choice than Trump,” encouraged Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase.
Over the past few weeks, numerous business tycoons, including Charles Koch and Stanley Druckenmiller, have backed Haley, Trump’s former UN ambassador. Her supporters have been stumping for her and swelling her campaign funds as her polling figures rise.
A major fundraising event in December saw Haley secure over $500,000 in pledges from New York’s business elite. “Many initially sat on the fence, waiting to see who would be left after months of campaigning,” said David Primo, a political science professor at Rochester University.
Haley is gaining traction in the polls, recently hitting nearly 18% for the Iowa caucuses in January 15, almost equal to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Business leaders are impressed with her debate performance and worry about the potential instability of another Trump presidency, according to Primo.
Haley’s Views on Fiscal Discipline
Haley supports tax cuts, gradual return to balanced budgets, and raising the minimum retirement age. “She’s committed to fiscal discipline and is concerned about the national debt,” noted Michael Strain of the American Enterprise Institute. “Business leaders appreciate her commitment to stability,” added Daniel Kinderman, a professor at the University of Delaware.
Although Trump also advocates tax cuts, his silence on deficits and debt, and his tariff proposals worry economists. Haley, on the other hand, is “not an isolationist or a narrow free-trader,” even if she does advocate a harder stance against China, observes Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a business management professor at Yale.
Investors, including Democrats like LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman, are even beginning to support Haley. However, during the Republican primary debate on Wednesday, rival Vivek Ramaswamy accused Haley of corruption due to her business ties and support from Hoffman.
Moderator Megyn Kelly questioned Haley’s relationship with banks and billionaires and how it might affect her appeal to the GOP’s working-class base. Haley retorted, “When it comes to these corporate people, they ask me what my policies are.”
Despite political differences, concerns about Trump’s electability and multiple pending trials give Haley a better chance against Biden in the general election, according to a Harris Institute poll.
“It’s unusual to have a candidate so far ahead in primary nominations who isn’t the strongest general election candidate,” said Strain.
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