Biden campaign met with Haley voters to woo them following her pledge to vote for Trump
Biden campaign met with Haley voters to woo them following her pledge to vote for Trump
Voters shared policy issues that were important to them heading into November.
ByHannah Demissie
May 23, 2024, 1:03 PM
President Joe Biden's reelection campaign held a call with a group of supporters of former presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Wednesday night -- after Haley said she would vote for former President Donald Trump in November.
ABC News has confirmed that Juan Peñalosa, the deputy political director of President Joe Biden's reelection campaign, spoke with about 15 Haley supporters.
It's the latest example of the Biden campaign reaching out to woo Haley voters, a group that could prove critical in this election cycle.
MORE: Nikki Haley says she 'will be voting for Trump'
People cheer as U.S. Republican Presidential hopeful and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley arrives for a campaign rally, Feb. 23, 2024, in Moncks Corner, S.C.Julia Nikhinson/AFP via Getty Images
Those who met with Peñalosa included former members of Haley's campaign leadership team for some states, Women for Haley and other voters who supported the former United Nations ambassador's presidential run.
Robert Schwartz, executive director of the Haley Voters Working Group and co-founder of Primary Pivot, organized the call.
Schwartz also told ABC News that this call was already planned before Haley shared that she would vote for Trump.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at the Hudson Institute, May 22, 2024, in Washington.Cliff Owen/AP
Schwartz told ABC News that voters who appeared on the call were from several states, including Massachusetts, Virginia, Vermont, and the battleground states of Arizona and Georgia.
On the call, voters shared policy issues that were important to them heading into November. Schwartz told ABC News that the issues voters brought up most frequently were the border and immigration.
MORE: 'Zombie' Haley voters don't want Trump, but many not sold on Biden, either
Schwartz also shared that a voter on the call who was open to voting for Biden expressed concern over the president halting weapon delivery to Israel.
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The Biden campaign has made an effort to reach out to the Haley coalition through digital ads and recruiting her former donors.
ABC News has spoked to Haley supporters following the March suspension of her campaign and as they decided who they will vote for in the 2024 general election.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks as he participates in a campaign event at the CRED Cafe, May 19, 2024, in Detroit.Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
Jack LaFrankie, a 25-year-old who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, told ABC News that he respects Haley's decision to vote for Trump in November.
"I respect her opinion a lot and will consider what she said, but ultimately she is a politician who is going to make decisions based on future political viability," LaFrankie told ABC News.
LaFrankie, who is still undecided about who he'll support in November, said that Haley's decision to support Trump did "not immediately" move him in the direction of the former president, but said that he may use it as a factor as the election nears.
"So much can happen in the next six months," LaFrankie said.