âJudge Judyâ Sheindlin announced her presidential endorsement on Tuesday, ruling in favor of Republican candidate Nikki Haley. The retired Manhattan judge called Haley âwhip-smartââdespite the fact that just last month Haley struggled to answer a question about why the American Civil War started. Sheindlin also lauded Haleyâs performance as Governor of South Carolina and ambassador to the United Nations. â[Haley] is principled, measured, and has that elusive quality of real common sense,â Sheindlin said. Nikki Haley said she was âhonoredâ to have the TV personalityâs endorsement. âJudge Judy is a no-nonsense lady who has earned the respect of millions of Americans from her courtroom by being thoughtful, fair, and honest,â Haley said. In 2020, Sheindlin endorsed former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, a Democrat, for president.