Nikki Haley challenges Trump, begins presidential campaign
The former South Carolina Governor and United Nations Ambassador, Nikki Haley , has launched her candidacy for president.
Following the announcement on Tuesday, Haley becomes the first major challenger to former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination.
The announcement, delivered in a video , marks an about-face for the ex-Trump Cabinet official, who said two years ago that she wouldn’t challenge her former boss for the White House in 2024. But she changed her mind in recent months, citing, among other things, the country’s economic troubles and the need for “generational change,” a nod to the 76-year-old Trump’s age.
“You should know this about me. I don’t put up with bullies. And when you kick back, it hurts them more if you’re wearing heels,” Haley said.
“I’m Nikki Haley and I’m running for president.”
Haley, 51, is the first in a long line of Republicans who are expected to launch 2024 campaigns in the coming months.
President Joe Biden has declared his reelection bid in 2024, stalling any jostling for the Democratic nomination.
Haley has regularly boasted about her track record of defying political expectations, saying, “I’ve never lost an election, and I’m not going to start now.”
If elected, Haley would be the nation’s first female president and the first U.S. president of Indian descent.
The daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley grew up enduring racist taunts in a small South Carolina town and has long referenced that impact on her personal and political arc.