Biden tells Nikki Haley's Republican voters to back HIM over Donald Trump: President says her supporters 'have a place' in his campaign after GOP frontrunner 'made it clear' he doesn't want them

President Joe Biden praised Nikki Haley's 'courage' in challenging Donald Trump after she dropped out of the Republican presidential primary and he also made a play for her Republican voters.

'It takes a lot of courage to run for President – that's especially true in today's Republican Party, where so few dare to speak the truth about Donald Trump. Nikki Haley was willing to speak the truth about Trump,' he said in a statement.

'Donald Trump made it clear he doesn't want Nikki Haley's supporters. I want to be clear: There is a place for them in my campaign,' he added.

Many of Haley's voters described their support for her as more of a vote against Donald Trump, which the Biden re-election team sees an opening to win them over.

President Joe Biden made a play for Nikki Haley voters

Haley, in her remarks on Wednesday announcing her exit from the presidential race, notably did not endorse Trump.

Instead she said the former president must earn her support and that of her voters.

'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,' she said. 

'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.'

Haley only won two states during her primary campaign but did pick up support from independent voters and those moderate Republicans disillusioned with Trump.

Those voters are the ones Biden is making a play for. 

'I know there is a lot we won't agree on,' the president said. 

'But on the fundamental issues of preserving American democracy, on standing up for the rule of law, on treating each other with decency and dignity and respect, on preserving NATO and standing up to America's adversaries, I hope and believe we can find common ground.'

The Biden campaign has been studying Haley's showing in suburban areas and among independents voters.

Exiting polling from Tuesday night showed that Haley voters were voting more against Trump than for her, a sign of hope for Biden's efforts to win a second term. 

She also led two-to-one among moderate Republican voters. While that group is only 20% of the GOP primary voters, it will have a much bigger influence in the general election. 

Additionally, exit polling from Tuesday found htat 78% of Haley voters in the North Carolina Republican presidential primary, 69% in California and 68% in Virginia said they were unwilling to voice support the GOP's nominee whoever it is.

Nikki Haley did not endorse Donald Trump in her speech but said he must earn her support

Donald Trump also made a play for Nikki Haley voters but insulted her in the process

A Quinnipiac University poll found that about half of Republicans and Republican-leaning voters who supported Haley would vote for Trump, while 37 per cent would vote for Biden. 

Twelve per cent said they would abstain, vote for someone else or hadn’t yet decided what to do. 

Trump also made a play for Haley supporters but he insulted the former South Carolina governor in the process.

'Nikki Haley got TROUNCED last night, in record setting fashion,' he wrote on Truth Social.

'At this point, I hope she stays in the 'race' and fights it out until the end! I'd like to thank my family, friends, and the Great Republican Party for helping me to produce, by far, the most successful Super Tuesday in HISTORY, and would further like to invite all of the Haley supporters to join the greatest movement in the history of our Nation. BIDEN IS THE ENEMY, HE IS DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!'

In his remarks at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday night, Trump focused his fire on Biden. He didn't mention Haley by name.

Meanwhile, Biden's re-election campaign, in a new memo, painted Trump as a 'wounded, dangerous, and unpopular candidate.

The memo, written by Biden campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, said Nikki Haley's resilience in the Republican primary contest was a sign that Trump faces a hard ceiling in terms of support from traditionally GOP voters.

'A significant share of moderate and Haley voters across the country are saying that Trump cannot count on their votes in a general election,' the memo says.

They noted those are the voters that the Biden campaign will 'aggressively engage.'

The memo also downplays a slew of polls that have bad news for the incumbent president.

A new poll from the New York Times over the weekend found Biden trailing Trump, 48%-43%. 

Biden on Tuesday chastized reporters for not reporting on polls he's winning but only looking at the New York Times' numbers.

'The last five polls you guys didn't report I'm winning. Five. Five in a row. You guys only look at the New York Times,' Biden told reporters as he made his way back to the White House from Camp David. 

But it's unclear what five polls the president was referring to. 

Both RealClearPolitics' polling average and Five Thirty-Eight's polling average show Trump leading Biden in the majority of the recent national polls on the 2024 presidential race. 

However a combination of polls in individual states, mixed in with national polls, paints a better picture for the president.

Biden's team expressed confidence and has argued the race is truly beginning now that Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee.

'We have a clear path to victory,' the memo stated.