Trump believes Haley should drop out of race, but says he won't call and ask her to

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis somewhat shocked the nation when he announced the end of his campaign before the New Hampshire primary.

The news was celebrated by many on the right and in former President Donald Trump's camp -- especially the fact that DeSantis chose to rally behind the former president.

The only GOP opponent left standing for Trump is former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Trump recently told Newsmax that he believes she should drop out, though he noted that he would never call and ask her to do that.

"Well, I would never call for it, but perhaps she should. Maybe she'll drop out on Tuesday; we'll see what happens," Trump said when presented with data showing him with a solid lead in New Hampshire.

Trump insisted that he would never ask a rival candidate to drop out of the race, adding that they would need to do that "out of their own volition."

Haley had seen a bump in her New Hampshire numbers in the weeks leading up to the second primary vote in the nation, but some recent polling showed Trump with a double-digit lead.

That's likely explained due to DeSantis' departure, as data suggests that Trump benefited most from voters who preferred the Florida governor to Haley.

Many of Trump's high-profile surrogates, such as Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, have steadily called for Haley to exit the race so the party can fully rally behind Trump as he faces down President Joe Biden in the general election race.

"I'm committed to saving this country. That's my focus. On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump will win NH in a BIG way & it will be time for Nikki Haley to drop out of this race. At that point, we shift to the general election & DEFEATING Joe Biden & the radical Democrats," Donalds wrote on X.

I'm committed to saving this country.
That's my focus.

On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump will win NH in a BIG way & it will be time for Nikki Haley to drop out of this race.

At that point, we shift to the general election & DEFEATING Joe Biden & the radical Democrats. pic.twitter.com/jJmXWDW6EZ

— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) January 22, 2024

Social media users agreed, with many saying Haley is simply wasting time and resources and that she's not looking at the big picture.

"Nikki Haley needs to face the music and accept she’s done. We the people want Donald Trump and no one else. Our focus should be on this election and defeating the left and Joe Biden. That’s the goal. Follow me if you agree," one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "Lets do this, no more play time we have got to fix this country or die trying!!!!!!!!!!"

Only time will tell if the New Hampshire results make Haley change her mind about staying in.