Koch Brothers Make Presidential Endorsement

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley just picked up a major endorsement.

The Americans for Prosperity Action, the political wing of the influential and deep-pocketed fiscally conservative network founded by the billionaire Koch Brothers, endorsed Haley for President on Tuesday.

Breaking News: The Koch brothers’ political network endorsed Nikki Haley for president, in a bid to push the GOP past Donald Trump.https://t.co/CPtF7frAJo

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 28, 2023

From Fox News:

The group, which has pledged to spend tens of millions of dollars to help push the Republican Party past former President Trump, made its announcement Tuesday morning in a memo.

.@NikkiHaley represents a new generation of conservative leaders who will solve the tough problems and lead our country forward.

Her positive vision for America is what we desperately need.

That's why we're proud to endorse Nikki Haley for President!https://t.co/sEfQSmd9pz pic.twitter.com/CDmMBtXM1N

— Americans for Prosperity Action (@AFPAction) November 28, 2023

AFP Action said that “it is proud to be throwing the full weight and scope of its grassroots operation behind Nikki Haley to help her become the next President of the United States. That effort will begin with a multimillion dollar ad campaign launching this week in all early and several Super Tuesday states calling on Americans to unite behind Haley’s positive vision to turn the page on today’s broken politics and move our country forward.”

Haley, the former two-term South Carolina governor who later served as ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration, launched her 2024 GOP presidential campaign in February. She’s enjoyed momentum in the polls in recent months, thanks in part to well-received performances in the first three GOP presidential primary debates.

Haley has leapfrogged Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for second place in New Hampshire — which holds the first primary and votes second in the Republican nominating schedule — and in her home state, which holds the first southern contest. And she’s pulled even with DeSantis in some of the latest polls in Iowa, whose caucuses kick off the GOP nominating calendar on Jan. 15.

But Haley and DeSantis remain far behind Trump, who continues to hold a commanding lead over the rest of the field as the former president makes his third straight White House run.

The AFP Action endorsement should help Haley, whose campaign lacks the grassroots outreach and organizational strength that DeSantis enjoys, due to the major assist from the DeSantis-aligned super PAC Never Back Down.

The endorsement by AFP Action will likely support Haley with the group’s powerful direct-mail and field operations, as well as a major ad blitz in the early voting states. In the 2022 midterm election cycle, the group knocked on roughly 5.5 million doors, made 2 million calls, and sent out nearly 70 million pieces of mail on behalf of candidates it was backing.

.@NikkiHaley has a positive vision for America that can unite our nation.@JoeBiden is a disaster and his policies are hurting the American People.

She will beat Biden, drive down our debt, take on reckless spending, and unleash American energy.

📷 WATCH pic.twitter.com/Id0OL9An40

— Americans for Prosperity Action (@AFPAction) November 28, 2023

AFP Action senior adviser Emily Seidel, who called her group “a true grassroots organization,” highlighted that “when we announced our decision to engage in our first ever Republican presidential primary, we made it clear that we’d be looking for a candidate who can turn the page on our political dysfunction — and win. It’s clear that candidate is Nikki Haley.”

Seidel pledged that “we will be doing everything we can to help make her the next President of the United States.”

I’m honored to have the support of @AFPAction, including its millions of grassroots members all across the country.

This election is a choice between freedom & socialism, individual liberty & big government, fiscal responsibility & spiraling debt. We have a country to save. https://t.co/AW7WzR4sPq

— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) November 28, 2023

Haley, reacting to the endorsement, said the group’s “members know that there is too much at stake in this election to sit on the sidelines. This is a choice between freedom and socialism, individual liberty and big government, fiscal responsibility and spiraling debt. We have a country to save, and I’m grateful to have AFP Action by our side.”