A Biden campaign official met with Nikki Haley’s supporters from several states on Wednesday evening in a scheduled Zoom call hours after the former Republican presidential candidate announced she would vote for Donald Trump, people told CNN two sources familiar with the call.
The meeting was part of the Biden campaign’s ongoing efforts to reach Haley voters. It was organized by the Haley Voter Action Group.
Haley’s conservative supporters from Virginia, Massachusetts, Vermont, California, Florida, Georgia, Arizona and North Carolina joined the call, including members of Haley’s previous leadership teams and Women for Nikki.
The call, which one source described as a constructive first step, began with a roughly 35-minute question-and-answer session with a Biden campaign official, who wanted to know which policy issues were most important to Haley supporters. Another source confirmed that the person responsible for the call was Juan Peñalosa, deputy political director for President Joe Biden’s campaign.
After Peñalosa left the call, the source said the conversation continued within the group, with “a few moments of mourning” over Haley’s decision to support Trump, while acknowledging that he doesn’t This was not a complete endorsement.
He added: “Trump would be smart if he reached out to the millions of people who voted for me and continued to support me, and didn’t assume they would just be with him. “I sincerely hope he does,” Haley said Wednesday at the conservative Hudson Institute in Washington.
Robert Schwartz, executive director of the Haley Voters Action Group, said that while there was disappointment that the former South Carolina governor said she would vote for Trump, there was an understanding that it was the choice she was most likely to make.
“A lot of people in this group are big supporters of Nikki Haley and want to support her in 2028,” he added. “They are legitimate Republicans and conservatives, so they don’t want to see Trump destroy the party.”
While some Republican voters continue to support Haley in the primaries since she left the presidential race in March, the Biden campaign is focused on expanding its reach and engaging with those voters, particularly in states across the country. battlefield.
The campaign confirmed to CNN that this is part of a broader outreach program targeting GOP voters, which will include dedicated staff and grassroots efforts as the general election approaches.
The campaign issued a press release Thursday afternoon titled “To Haley Voters: There’s a Place for You on the Biden-Harris Team.”
“As Donald Trump continues to attack Republican voters and moderate independents, the Biden campaign is working to speak to these voters and work to gain their support,” the statement read.
Schwartz agreed with this opinion.
“While Trump has done absolutely nothing to win the support of Haley voters and takes them for granted, Biden and his campaign are actively seeking to build a coalition of Republicans and they know they need to earn their votes. We “We welcome their initial commitments and I know they plan to do more in the coming months.”
During Wednesday’s call, Haley’s constituents shared some of their pressing policy concerns with Peñalosa, including the southern border, Ukraine and Israel. A Haley supporter from Arizona expressed his desire for an executive order or some sort of strong action from Biden to address the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Daily Beast was first to report on the Zoom call.
