Following Donald Trump's juggernaut performance on Super Tuesday, former South Carolina Governor and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley finally dropped out of the race, all but guaranteeing a November rematch between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
During her concession speech, she gave the Republican victor some advice.
"I have always been a conservative Republican and always supported the Republican nominee. But on this question, as she did on so many others, Margaret Thatcher provided some good advice when she said, – quote – 'Never just follow the crowd. Always make up your own mind,'" Haley referenced. "It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him, and I hope he does that."
But as conservative activist and columnist Robert Knight points out, Haley has no leverage.
"The only thing she won was Washington, D.C., of all the primaries," he notes. "In the state of Vermont, she just squeaked over with 50% – that's an open primary where Democrats can vote, and certainly, many Democrats voted for her just to take a shot at President Trump. So, Washington, D.C., the swamp – that's what she won. She's probably in no position to advise President Trump on how to conduct his campaign from here on out."
As for November, most general election polls suggest the contest between Trump and Biden will be a close one, but political analyst Craig Huey does not think President Trump could beat Michelle Obama if she changes her mind about running for president.
Even though the former first lady has said on multiple occasions that she is not interested in the position, a recent Rassmussen poll of Democratic voters has her beating out Governors Gavin Newsom (California) and Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan), Vice President Kamala Harris, and Hillary Clinton as their choice to replace 81-year-old Joe Biden on the ticket if he drops out of the race.
The same survey shows that 47% of likely voters believe the Democrats will replace Biden as the party's nominee.
Huey does not like the prospect of Michelle Obama at the top of the Democratic ticket.
"I don't think Trump could beat her," he says. "It doesn't matter who she picks … as the V.P."
But considering a recent statement her office made to NBC News – that "Mrs. Obama supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' re-election campaign" – that matchup seems unlikely.
"Here's the thing: The next six months is a time where people of faith need to be alert, and they need to be able to be realistic of what needs to be done for the future," Huey tells AFN. "We can't go at it where we're defeated. We've got to look at how we're going to be able to win. We've got to be able to come up with the strategies and tactics that the Democrats are using and do it better."
