The Deciders, Oct. 28: Check-In with Former Haley Voters

Key Takeaways

The week before the election, 11 voters who supported Nikki Haley during the primaries talked about who they were voting for and why.
Many of the Harris and Trump supporters still had reservations about the candidates they planned to vote for.
The voters also responded to what was said during Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, but several admitted that the event wouldn’t change their votes.

In this year’s election, voters from certain crucial demographic groups will play a key role in choosing the country’s next president. Each month, The Deciders series checks in with one of those groups to determine their thoughts about the candidates. The initiative is a partnership between Sago, Engagious, NBC News and Syracuse University’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship.

Opinions on Trump’s Rally at Madison Square Garden

The day before The Deciders focus groups took place, a Trump rally was held at Madison Square Garden in New York. During this event, some of the speakers made derogatory remarks about Puerto Rico, immigrants, Kamala Harris and Hilary Clinton. Seven of the 11 focus group participants had heard about the event and what was said there.

During our focus groups, we played snippets of some of the most offensive things said at the rally. Comments from the Haley voters included:

“That is so typical of what I hear from them all the time, and why, as a Republican, I have become so upset, because this is not the Republican party that I know.”

“It just seems like Donald Trump and the Republican Party now is the party of grievances and they demean the people that disagree with them.”

“I wouldn’t want none of them people running nothing around me with that type of attitude.”

“It sucks. It’s a terrible reflection on the party. I’m not going to vote for Harris because of it. It still makes me torn. Like if they had done a very professional event, maybe that would have moved the needle a little towards him … It keeps me in a place where it makes it hard to fill in that oval.”

“I think it’s disgusting. I can’t say that it would change my vote. I don’t think there’s any place for that in a political rally. I don’t think there’s a place for that anywhere.”

“I think it’s just more of what I expect from the campaign. They like to rile up their base and that’s how they excite people to vote.”

“I just say it’s repulsive.”

« I think it’s just more of what I expect from the campaign. They like to rile up their base and that’s how they excite people to vote.”

Which Candidates Do the Haley Voters Support Now?

The 11 former Haley voters didn’t agree on how they intend to vote. Some plan to vote for Harris and others plan to vote for Trump. Some expected to cast their votes for a third-party candidate. And even though our conversations took place the week before the election, some still hadn’t decided.

What Harris Supporters Had to Say

Three of the 11 former Haley voters support Kamala Harris. Here’s what one of them said:

“She’s a lot better candidate than the Republican one. I am a Republican, conservative Republican, but, then again, look who we have to vote for as a republican. You can’t go there. So, I had to switch and vote for her. No questions asked.”

When this voter was asked if there was anything Trump could say or do to change their mind, they said, “No. No. He should be in jail.”

Other comments about Trump from Harris supporters included:

“When he came out during the debate and said ‘I have a concept of a plan,’ that spoke volumes to me. He does not have any idea about what exactly he wants to do, unless it makes it good for him, not the country.”

“I’m more afraid of what’s going to happen if he gets in power again, so now I don’t want him in power.”

The Opinions of Third-Party Voters

Two of the participants in the Oct. 28 focus groups planned to vote for Chase Oliver, the Libertarian candidate. Their comments included:

“I don’t think Oliver is going to win. It’s like a protest, about saying ‘hey, please give me different options.’ I’ve voted Libertarian before … Maybe if I was in a more of a swing state, perhaps I’d have a harder time not voting for one of the two major parties.”

“I will more than likely vote Libertarian Chase Oliver because Trump is a known quantity and Harris hasn’t been able to explain how or why things would be different than they have been the past four years. I don’t think she’s been able to tell people how she would make things better, why things would be different.”

When one of these voters was asked if there was anything Trump could say to gain their support, their response was:

“I’d say I won’t vote for you. You can’t unring that bell. The things that have occurred have occurred. You can’t go back and change history and you’re not going to change. I mean, that much is crystal clear. You are who you are.”

The Perspective of Undecided Voters

Two of the former Haley voters had not made up their mind about who to vote for on election day. Their comments included:

“I’m going to vote in the general election, for sure. For president, I was either going to write in a name or vote for Trump, I think. And those are still my choices …I don’t think he represents the presidency well. However, was the world a more stable place when he was in power versus Harris? And I think the answer is yes. Was my own family economically better off when he was in office versus now? Yes.”

“I think right now I’m still leaning towards Trump. I don’t think I’m hard locked for voting for him. I think that if I go in next Tuesday and go cast my ballot and something’s just stopping me from voting for him, then maybe I’ll vote for her.”

What Trump Supporters Had to Say

Several of the focus group participants plan to vote for Trump, but they had qualms about their choice. Their comments included:

“I’m actually going to vote for Vance, meaning that it will be a Trump vote because I like [his] VP better. Because there’s still a chance Trump’s going to go to jail. That’s not off the table, with all the lawsuits and stuff against him. And, so, then we have to look at who’s going to be the leader, if that happens.”

“I would still say that I’m a true Republican and I’m going to vote Republican … Yeah, I would have preferred a different Republican candidate. That’s clear.”

“He’s still kind of crazy, but maybe a good kind of crazy. And I think the Russians, they’re afraid of him. That’s pretty important to me, that our enemies are afraid of us. He’s clever like a fox, but he’s also chaotic.”

To hear more about the opinions of critical voting groups throughout this election year, catch up on past editions of The Deciders. Each month featured a different demographic group that was expected to play an outsized role in choosing the next president of the U.S.