South Carolina Republican to back Trump amid news of Haley dropping out

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), the only House member to endorse Nikki Haley for president, said he is endorsing former President Trump after Haley suspended her campaign Wednesday.

“One hundred percent,” Norman told reporters when asked whether Haley’s withdrawal from the race means he will back Trump’s campaign.

Haley officially suspended her campaign Wednesday morning, shortly after Norman’s comments to reporters on his way into a GOP conference meeting.

Asked whether that means he will endorse Trump, Norman said, “Oh, yeah. I already did.”

“Look, it’s time to unite. I’ll be supporting President Trump 100 percent. We have a country to save,” he said when asked whether he’s worried about blowback from Trump because of his Haley endorsement.

“It’s not about words. It’s not about rhetoric. It’s about saving America,” he added.

Norman said he plans to call former President Trump right after the meeting. He also said he has not spoken with Haley yet Wednesday morning, but “she’s calling later on.”

“This isn’t about politics. It’s not about Democrat, Republican. It’s about getting this country back on track,” he said.

Norman said he hopes Haley will endorse Trump.

“We’ll see. I hope, hope she will,” endorse Trump, he said. “I hope she’ll 100 percent get behind him. I mean what’s the other option? Do y’all really want four more years of what you’ve been through? Do you really want … the crime, the border, the energy prices? You really want four more years of this?”

Haley announced she was ending her campaign during remarks in Charleston, S.C. She called on former President Trump to earn her supporters’ votes heading into the general election. 

“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,” Haley said speaking to supporters in Charleston. “At its best, politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away. And our conservative cause badly needs more people. This is now his time for choosing. “

Norman praised Haley’s performance throughout the GOP primary. Asked where her campaign went wrong, Norman pushed back on the premise of the question, saying the GOP primary revealed the democratic process in action.

“This is how the democracy works. She put her plan forward. She beat, what, 13 others? She did a good job,” Norman said. “But the people chose Donald Trump.”

“That’s a good thing that it played out like this. What Nikki Haley did was really historic,” he said.

Mychael Schnell contributed.