Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone formally endorsed presidential candidate Nikki Haley this Friday on Fox News.
Appearing on Fox News’ “Your World,” he praised her “approach” to politics and leadership.
“I think she is just what we need right now. I think her approach is smart. I think she’s qualified. More importantly, I think the American people need this kind of leadership – statesmanlike, elegant. Just think of … where we have been in the last six or seven or eight years. It is not good at all,” he said.
Regarding Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who too is running for president and with whom Haley is essentially tied, Langone said he likes him but his poll “numbers aren’t moving.”
“The writing is on the wall. On the other hand, Nikki Haley has had a substantial upswing. The one thing I’m committed to is we have to beat Joe Biden. If Joe Biden is going to be the nominee, we have to beat him. We can’t take any more of this mayhem,” he argued.
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As for why he doesn’t just back the lead candidate, former President Donald Trump, like everybody else, Langone argued his time has “come and gone.”
“What Trump put this country through the last three months of his presidency was disgraceful. I think what happened on January 6 – all he had to say is ‘Please go home.’ … But he sat in a room and watched it for three hours and did nothing about it and America deserves better than that,” he said.
The Home Depot co-founder’s endorsement of Haley is just the latest.
Earlier in the week, a super PAC closely tied with billionaire conservative donor Charles Koch spent $4 million to help her.
“The money has gone to canvassing in early voting states and advertising in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia, according to Americans for Prosperity Action spokesman Bill Riggs. The Koch-backed political group said in late November it would help Haley in her bid to defeat frontrunner Donald Trump for the Republican nomination,” according to Bloomberg.
“The resources come at a critical time for Haley, who has kept a lean campaign in Iowa, the first contest in the Republican nomination process. The surge of money from Americans for Prosperity, plus endorsements from other notable business figures including JPMorgan Chase & Co. Jamie Dimon, have given her campaign new momentum weeks ahead of the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses.”
.@NikkiHaley represents a new generation of conservative leaders who will solve the tough problems and lead our country forward.
Her positive vision for America is what we desperately need.
That’s why we’re proud to endorse Nikki Haley for President!https://t.co/sEfQSmd9pz pic.twitter.com/CDmMBtXM1N
— Americans for Prosperity Action (@AFPAction) November 28, 2023
This momentum has propelled her into third place, with fewer than three percentage points now separating her from DeSantis’ paltry 13 percent lead, according to polling averages maintained by RealClearPolitics.
According to CNN, the endorsement from Americans for Prosperity Action has also inspired a donation from billionaire Art Pope.
“In an announcement shared first with CNN, North Carolina retail magnate Art Pope on Tuesday endorsed Haley – becoming the latest wealthy GOP donor to publicly support her presidential bid,” CNN notes.
“Pope, who previously backed the campaign of former Vice President Mike Pence, has a long association with the Koch network and said he had encouraged officials at Americans for Prosperity Action to back her ahead of Tuesday’s announcement.”
LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, usually a Democrat donor, is also supporting her campaign, though he doesn’t actually want her to become president.
In a blog post published to LinkedIn, he admitted he plans to “enthusiastically vote” for current President Joe Biden in next year’s election, which raises the question of why Haley. The reason why is “because Governor Haley is also the only Republican nominee other than Trump with any chance of winning the GOP nomination,” he wrote.
“If America is to avoid another Trump presidency, it will be because Trump loses an election next year. If he is to lose, it will either be to Nikki Haley in the primary, or Joe Biden in the general. I have invested in the Stand for America PAC supporting Nikki Haley because I agree with Jamie Dimon’s recent comments that Democrats should support Haley in the primary and Biden in the general election,” he added.
The first chance to defeat Donald Trump in 2024 is in the primaries. That’s why, even though I’ll be voting for Joe Biden in November, I’m supporting Nikki Haley in the Republican primary.https://t.co/fXSKEVxZAr
— Reid Hoffman (@reidhoffman) December 6, 2023
He continued by admitting that there’s a lot about Haley that he dislikes, including her refusal to outright condemn Trump.
“Nikki Haley has disappointed me with her inconsistency in denouncing Trump, especially after the violence of January 6, and I disagree with a wide swath of her policy views. Yet, American politics are in crisis,” Hoffman wrote.
“While we are fighting to defend the idea of America from the threat of Trumpism, we need to engage with people with whom we disagree about many areas of policy and culture. Nikki Haley would not be as good for America as Joe Biden, but America would survive her administration,” he added.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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