Republican Super PAC Americans For Prosperity Action, the political arm of the multi-billion-dollar Koch Network, announced on Sunday that it will no longer support former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in the 2024 presidential primary race.
AFP Action’s decision to “take stock” of its spending priorities came just after Haley’s 20-point loss to former President Donald Trump in her home state’s primary election on Saturday—her fourth straight primary loss.
In an internal email from AFP Action CEO Emily Seidel first obtained by POLITICO, Haley “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.” Instead, the prominent anti-Trump group will shift focus to funding competitive House and Senate races.
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As Valuetainment previously reported, AFP Action—which represents the interests of the influential Koch Network founded by Republican philanthropists Charles and David Koch—threw its considerable support behind Haley in November, just prior to the Iowa Caucuses. While Haley lost that contest with only 19.1 percent support, support from the Kochs helped to weaken Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who dropped out the next day.
In the intervening time, Haley also lost the primaries in New Hampshire, Nevada (where she placed behind the “None of These Candidates” option), and most recently her home state of South Carolina, where her home field advantage earned her just 39.5 percent support. Donald Trump handily won all four contests, securing 59.8 percent of South Carolina’s voter base.
Related: Donald Trump Wins South Carolina Republican Primary
The loss of AFP Action marks the latest mega-donor to pull support from Haley’s campaign, with billionaire LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman backing out after the New Hampshire primary. This latest departure accompanies a report revealing that Haley’s campaign burned $37 million in Iowa, $31 million in New Hampshire, and $8.4 million in South Carolina—a total of $76.4 million for three successive losses.
Despite these losses, Haley has committed to staying in the contest until at least Super Tuesday on March 5th, banking on former President Trump’s legal battles to boost her poll numbers once trials begin.
Even while pulling its support, AFP Action echoed this sentiment, expressing concern over the possibility of Trump becoming the Republican nominee.
“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,” the PAC’s email stated. “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. This has been reinforced by the recent elections in Virginia in 2023 and the special elections in New York and Pennsylvania just this month. And we should expect this to increase further as the criminal trials progress.”
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
It appears that if you don’t have the money to bankroll yourself you must muster support from thise with the money.
This is regardless of your political leanings.
If you are a self-made person you don’t have to worry about lobbying for support.
Look to others in history. The late H Ross Perot ran as an independent candidate. Though he withdrew, had he persisted he may have defeated Mr Clinton and Mr Bush.
Just a thought.
Anthony, Sydney