Biden aide meets with Haley backers after she reveals her support for Trump.
The Biden campaign recently held a meeting with a group of conservative Haley supporters to discuss policy issues and reach out to them. This event was organized by the Haley Voters Working Group.
Voters from various states like Virginia, Massachusetts, Vermont, California, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, and North Carolina took part in the call, including members of Haley's former state leadership teams and the organization Women for Nikki.
The call started with a question-and-answer session that lasted for about 35 minutes, where the Biden campaign official wanted to know the crucial policy issues for these Haley supporters. The source confirmed that the official present was Juan Penalosa, the deputy political director for President Joe Biden's campaign.
After Penalosa left the call, there was further discussion within the group, with a few moments of sadness about Haley supporting Trump but also acknowledgement that it wasn't a full-throated endorsement. Haley herself stated at the conservative Hudson Institute in Washington on Wednesday, "Trump would be smart to reach out to the millions of people who voted for me and continue to support me, and not assume that they're just going to be with him. And I genuinely hope he does that."
Robert Schwartz, the executive director of the Haley Voters Working Group, said that despite Haley's decision to back Trump, there was an understanding that this choice was likely to be made.
"Many of these people in this group are big supporters of Nikki Haley and want to support her in 2028," said Schwartz. "They're genuine Republicans and conservatives, so they don't want to see Trump damage the party."
Since Haley left the presidential race in March, there has been some Republican voter support for her in primaries. The Biden campaign is now focusing on expanding its outreach and talking to these voters, particularly in battleground states.
The campaign emphasized to CNN that this meeting is part of a larger program aimed at reaching out to Republican voters, with dedicated staff and grassroots efforts as the general election approaches.
The Biden campaign also released a statement titled "To Haley Voters: There's a Home For You on Team Biden-Harris."
"While Donald Trump continues to attack moderate Republican and independent voters, the Biden campaign is investing in talking to these voters and working to earn their support," the statement read.
Schwartz agreed with this statement.
"While Trump hasn't made any efforts to gain the support of Haley voters and takes them for granted, Biden and his campaign are actively reaching out to build a coalition of Republicans and know they need to earn their vote. We appreciate their initial engagements and understand they plan to do much more in the coming months."
During the call, the Haley supporters expressed their concerns about various policy issues, including the southern border, Ukraine, and Israel. One Haley supporter from Arizona expressed a desire for an executive order or strong action from Biden to address the US-Mexico border.
The Daily Beast was the first to report on this Zoom call.
CNN's Phil Mattingly contributed to this report.
Original Text: https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/23/politics/haley-biden-outreach-campaign/index.html
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The Biden campaign acknowledged the concerns of Haley supporters about policy issues like the southern border, Ukraine, and Israel during the meeting. Despite Haley backing Trump, the Haley Voters Working Group mentioned that many supporters still want to support Haley in 2028 and are genuine Republicans and conservatives.
Source: edition.cnn.com
