Nikki Haley's primary delegates released to Trump with convention set to begin in days

Nikki Haley released the 97 delegates she won as part of the Republican primary process on Tuesday, saying in a statement that she wanted the party to be unified ahead of the convention and encouraging the delegates to vote for former President Donald Trump.

"The nominating convention is a time for Republican unity," Haley, who served as Trump's ambassador to the United Nations said. "Joe Biden is not competent to serve a second term, and Kamala Harris would be a disaster for America. We need a president who will hold our enemies to account, secure our border, cut our debt, and get our economy back on track. I encourage my delegates to support Donald Trump next week in Milwaukee."

Trump already has more than the 1,215 delegates he needs to become the Republican nominee for president, and some of the delegates may not be allowed to vote for someone other than Haley because of state rules.

Haley won primaries in the District of Columbia and Vermont and took some more delegates from states that split the number of delegates awarded to each candidate based on the percentage of votes they receive before suspending her campaign in March.

She declined to endorse Trump then but came out in May saying she would vote for him over President Joe Biden despite affirming her criticism of him during the primary.

Haley spokesperson Chaney Denton said Haley would not be attending the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "She was not invited, and she's fine with that," Denton said. "Trump deserves the convention he wants. She's made it clear she's voting for him and wishes him the best."