Nikki Haley signs RNC pledge, jokes that nominee will face Kamala Harris

Former South Carolina governor and 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley became the third contender to sign the Republican National Committee’s pledge to support the party’s eventual nominee Thursday — joking that person would face “President” Kamala Harris.

Haley, 51, agreed to the “Beat Biden Pledge” — joining Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivwek Ramaswamy — and scratched out the commander-in-chief’s name to write “President Harris.”

“I acknowledge and accept that if I fail to sign this pledge or if I participate in any debate that has not been sanctioned by the Republican National Committee, I will not be eligible to participate in any further Republican National Committee sanctioned debates,” the pledge states.

“Additionally, I affirm that if I do not win the 2024 Republican nomination for President of the United States, I will honor the will of the primary voters and support the nominee in order to save our country and beat Joe Biden.”

“Alright fellas, your turn,” Haley said above a picture of her pledge on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.

The former ambassador to the United Nations has frequently claimed that a vote to re-elect Biden, 80, is in fact a vote cast for his vice president to eventually assume the office.

Republican presidential candidates who sign the pledge must only attend party-sanctioned debates and may not run as independents or write-in candidates.

The GOP hopefuls also have to reach 1% support in three national polls or the same level of support in two national and two early voting state polls by Aug. 21 to qualify for the debate.

Frontrunner and former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum have joined Haley, DeSantis and Ramaswamy in meeting the 40,000-individual donor requirement also set by the RNC.

All candidates except Trump have said they will attend the Aug. 23 debate in Milwaukee, Wis., though Pence, Scott, Christie and Burgum have yet to sign the pledge.

On Wednesday, Trump said he would not sign the RNC pledge because he doesn’t support all of the Republican Party candidates in 2024.

“I wouldn’t sign the pledge. Why would I sign a pledge? There are people on there that I wouldn’t have. I wouldn’t have certain people as, you know, somebody that I’d endorse,” he told Newsmax host Eric Bolling during an interview.

“I can name three or four people that I wouldn’t support for president. So right there, there’s a problem.”

Trump is leading the primary field at 54.2% support, according to the RealClearPolitics national polling average, followed by DeSantis (15.1%), Ramaswamy (6.1%), Pence (5.2%), Haley (3.4%), Scott (2.8%) and Christie (2.6%).

All other candidates are polling beneath 1%.

RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said the pledge was designed to prevent intraparty disputes during the general election.

She has also proposed stricter donor and polling requirements at a second primary debate scheduled for Sept. 27.

Before that date, GOP candidates must have at least 50,000 unique donors and poll at least 3% support in two national polls or one national poll and two early voting state polls.