Nikki Haley Announces Presidential Run, Challenges Former Boss Donald Trump for Republican Nomination
After weeks of teasing, former South Carolina Governor and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has now formally thrown her hat into the ring and announced that she will be running for president, seeking the nomination of the Republican Party.
She will be joining her former boss, Donald Trump, in the race for the Republican nomination. While many are seeing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as the biggest challenger for Trump, Haley is seen as the first major challenger to the former president.
She delivered the announcement via Twitter, saying in a video, "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," before announcing that she is running for president.
According to the Associated Press, Haley previously stated that she would not challenge her former boss for the presidency. However, she changed her mind in recent months, even calling Trump to tell him about her plans to run.
Many more Republicans are expected to join her and announce their own candidacies in the upcoming weeks, including former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, as well as the current favorite, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Nikki Haley Might Become the First Non-White and First Female Republican Presidential Nominee
Long before she announced her candidacy, Nikki Haley blazed a trail for non-White conservatives, being South Carolina's first non-white and first female Governor. She is also the second Governor of Indian descent, just after Bobby Jindal of Louisiana.
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If she ever wins the Republican nomination from favorites like Trump and DeSantis, she will also be making history as the Republican Party's first non-white nominee in addition to being their first female presidential nominee.
According to Politico, Haley is the daughter of Indian immigrants and was born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa. She was the third of four children of a Sikh family living in rural central South Carolina. She changed her name to Nikki Haley when she married her husband, Bill Haley, whom she met while attending college at Clemson.
Republican Lawmaker From South Carolina Unsure if She Will Endorse 'Close Friend' Nikki Haley
While Haley may become popular among women and non-white Republicans, she may have a tall task ahead of her as she goes against other big names like DeSantis and Trump.
This is evident when her "close friend" and South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace spoke with CNN about Haley and admitted that she would still have to look at the field.
However, Mace still spoke highly of the former South Carolina governor, thanking her for her endorsement during the last election, even though she was attacked by Donald Trump and his MAGA candidates during the primaries. She said that Hailey was one of the only other people to reach out to her while these attacks were happening.
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Written by: Rick Martin
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