Repeating the pitch, “It’s time for a new generation,” former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) on Tuesday officially announced she’s running for President in 2024.
The former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump Administration hinted roughly two weeks ago that she would soon be tossing her hat into the ring, pitting her in direct competition against her ex-boss. Former President Trump announced back in November he’s running for reelection.
The announcement is a backtrack for Haley who said in 2021, “I would not run if President Trump ran, and I would talk to him about it.”
Haley has joined what is expected to ultimately be a crowded Republican primary field. And among the other potential GOP contenders in 2024, Haley’s steepest competition is likely to be former President Trump and potentially Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose team is actively preparing for 2024 and has reportedly identified potential staff in early primary states such as Iowa and New Hampshire.
A new Yahoo News/YouGov poll suggests that Haley’s entry into a primary race between Trump and DeSantis would hand the nomination to Trump. The poll found that DeSantis would win 45%-41% against Trump in a head-to-head. However, in a hypothetical three-way matchup, Haley polled at 11% among Republicans and Republican leaners, while DeSantis’ support fell to 35%, putting Trump in the lead at 38%.
In her announcement, Haley starts out by saying she’s the “proud daughter of Indian immigrants—not Black, not white, I was different. But my mom would always say your job is not to focus on the differences, but the similarities. And my parents reminded me and my siblings every day how blessed we were to live in America.”
She further notes that Republicans have lost the popular vote in seven of the last eight Presidential elections, insisting, “That has to change.”
During an appearance on Fox News in January, the 51-year-old had teased “leaning in” to a run, saying it was time for a new generation and new leadership, setting herself apart from 76-year-old Trump and 80-year-old President Biden. However, when asked by host Sean Hannity how her policies would differ from Trump’s, Haley was short on details, replying, “Most of the policies that he did, I totally agree with.”
When pressed by Hannity again to specify how she’d differ from Trump, she replied, “May the best woman win.”
It would seem she’s planning to continue that theme as her campaign goes forward. In her announcement Tuesday, Haley bashes “Joe Biden’s record…the Washington establishment…[and] the socialist Left.” She says she doesn’t put up with “bullies,” and “when you kick back, it hurts them more if you’re wearing heels.”
