2023-12-10 08:44:00
A growing number of business figures are declaring their support for US Republican primary candidate Nikki Haley, seen as more predictable than Donald Trump and more supportive of corporate interests than Joe Biden.
“Even if you are a very left-wing Democrat, I ask you: help Nikki Haley, too. Bring out a better option than Trump on the Republican side,” recently pleaded Jamie Dimon, CEO of the JPMorgan Chase bank, sometimes considered the most powerful boss in the United States.
For about a month, the list of entrepreneurs and business leaders who are lining up behind the former governor of South Carolina, contributing financially to her campaign or considering doing so, has continued to grow.
Among them, Charles Koch, one of the biggest donors in politics, or the investor Stanley Druckenmiller, both multi-billionaires.
At the beginning of December, during a fundraiser in a luxury apartment on the Upper West Side, Nikki Haley collected more than $500,000 in pledges from members of New York’s business elite.
“I think that initially, a lot of people in the economic world were holding back, waiting to have more visibility among the candidates,” explains David Primo, professor of political science at the University of Rochester.
At less than 10%, at the end of October, in the polls for the Republican primary in Iowa, the first on the calendar, on January 15, Nikki Haley now stands at nearly 18% and is almost on par with Ron DeSantis (around 19%).
“She was impressive during the debates,” underlines David Primo, and “the business world is worried about the potential instability that a new Trump presidency would create.”
“It seems that she is ready to respect limits, more than others,” analyzes Daniel Kinderman, professor at the University of Delaware. “And that’s something that economic leaders rather appreciate. They don’t really like crazy moves.”
Budgetary orthodoxy
The former American ambassador to the United Nations advocates tax cuts, a gradual return to balanced budgets and raising the minimum retirement age.
“She wants budgetary orthodoxy and is worried about the debt. It’s a traditional Republican line,” summarizes Michael Strain of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).
“She was governor of a state (from 2011 to 2017) and was seen as pro-business (in South Carolina),” recalls David Primo. “She knows how to interact with leaders.”
For his part, Donald Trump also proposes reducing the tax burden, in particular corporate tax, but says little about deficits and debt.
His promise to extend and raise customs tariffs is of particular concern to economic circles.
Nikki Haley, “is not an isolationist (…) or someone who would have a narrow vision of free trade”, details Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, professor of management at Yale University who regularly surveys big bosses , even if the candidate advocates more firmness against China.
The fifty-year-old is even starting to attract Democrats, such as investor Reid Hoffman, co-founder of the LinkedIn network.
“Nikki is a competent politician, (…) an American who respects institutions, democracy and the rule of law,” he recently explained during an interview with Barron’s magazine.
During the fourth debate of the Republican primary on Wednesday, one of his competitors, Vivek Ramaswamy, accused Nikki Haley of being “corrupt” because of her ties to the business world and denounced the support of Reid Hoffman, whom he referred to as “George Soros Jr”.
Others wonder about the divide that this image could cause with the popular electorate.
“Aren’t you a little too close to the banks and billionaires to convince the working base, who wants to attack the system, not elect someone who comes from it?” Wednesday’s debate, journalist Megyn Kelly.
“As for these people from the economic world who suddenly want to support us, I accept, but I do not ask them what policy they would like to pursue. They are the ones who question me about my program,” countered Nikki Haley .
Beyond political differences with Donald Trump, “the bosses are worried about (the former president’s) ability to be elected” during the presidential election, according to Michael Strain.
A recent poll from the Harris Institute thus gave a better potential result for Nikki Haley against Joe Biden than for Donald Trump, not to mention that the multiple legal proceedings targeting the former head of state pose a threat to his campaign.
“It’s unusual,” notes Mr. Strain, “to see someone who leads by 50 points in the polls for the primary, but is not the best candidate for the general election.”
10/12/2023 07:43:09 – New York (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
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