Indian-American Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley is set to quit the race for the White House, clearing the decks for her former boss and GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, according to media reports.
The former two-time South Carolina Governor is expected to make the announcement on Wednesday at Charleston in her home state, sources in know of her plans told CNN.
The 52-year-old on Tuesday scored a surprising victory over Trump in the Republican primary in Vermont state, which came just after her Washington DC win, putting her in the history books as the first woman ever to achieve the milestone.
Her move follows a series of losses in GOP nominating contests on Super Tuesday where her rival Trump maintained a formidable lead.
Trump and US President Joe Biden are leading in "Super Tuesday" wins in their respective party's primaries for the 2024 presidential election.
Having been defeated in South Carolina, her home state, questions were being raised about Haley's presence in the race, and more importantly, how long would she get donors to pump money into her campaign.
Despite her debacle at the primary, Haley made clear in her speech that she was not giving up.
"I said earlier this week that no matter what happens in South Carolina, I would continue to run. I’m a woman of my word," she said. "I'm not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden," she added, sharpening her attacks on Biden and Trump by calling them "grumpy old men".