'Pathetic': Nikki Haley slammed for 'unprincipled groveling' to Trump at RNC

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) put aside months of bitter primary fighting, and her own extensive criticisms that he is unfit to lead, to endorse former President Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Tuesday.

Commenters on social media were revolted — including some conservatives who had once respected her.

"Nikki Haley just said 'Donald Trump has my strong endorsement' at the RNC," wrote Democratic activist Harry Sisson. "What a coward. Trump insulted her, her intelligence, her family, and more. Yet, she bows down to Trump and kisses the ring. MAGA is a cult and they praise him no matter what."

"Nikki Haley remains a profound disappointment," wrote conservative commentator Heath Mayo. "This won’t help her or Donald Trump. Nothing she says tonight changes who he is or what he is threatening to do. This is not a policy election — it is an election over America’s fundamental principles and Trump rejects them."

"I’m so disgusted with Nikki Haley," wrote Texas Democratic activist Olivia Julianna. "This is a woman who ran for President who understands foreign policy and now she’s on stage falsely claiming Putin didn’t invade Ukraine because Trump was President. She KNOWS she’s lying. Absolutely despicable."

".@NikkiHaley tonight will endorse a candidate she knows is utterly unfit to be President," wrote former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL). "She’ll endorse a ticket she knows will side with Putin, and not Ukraine. And she’ll applaud a party she knows is embracing authoritarianism, and not democracy."

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"There it is, Nikki Haley voters: If you want a return to sanity, you have to vote for it," wrote the account for the Lincoln Project. "The writing is on the wall now. Do you want democracy or fascism? That's what's on the ballot in November."

"I told anyone who would listen, @NikkiHaley has the backbone of an octopus," wrote former South Carolina state legislator and political commentator Bakari Sellers. "This was inevitable."

"Nikki Haley’s unprincipled groveling before Trump is pathetic," wrote scholar Steven Beschloss.

"Proud of Nikki Haley for abandoning all integrity and fully supporting Donald Trump in exchange for a chance to speak at the RNC and probably get lustily booed by terrible people who hate her," wrote columnist Rex Huppke. "Well done."