former governor of South Carolina and ambassador of USA at U.N. during the tenure of donald trumpthe republican Nikki Haley announced that he will be a precandidate for the US presidency Republican Party in the 2024 election. With confirmation of the candidacy, Haley will become the first prominent figure in the party to challenge the former president’s plan to return to power.
The launch of Haley’s prerun had been expected for weeks in Washington but was only confirmed this Tuesday, the 14th, when she released a video claiming she will challenge Trump in the race for the party’s nomination for the presidency Race that promised to fight internal and external enemies.
“Some people look to America and see vulnerability. The socialist left sees an opportunity to rewrite history. China and Russia are on the rise. They all think we can be bullied and kicked around,” Haley said. “One thing you should know about me: I don’t tolerate bullies. And when you lean back, it hurts more when you wear heels.”
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In the video, the candidate defended that it was time for a “new generation of leaders” to come to power and explained that the country’s problems were the fault of the Washington establishment. “The Washington establishment has failed us time and time again. It’s time for a new generation of leaders. [de] Rediscover fiscal responsibility, protect our borders, and strengthen our country, pride, and purpose.”
The 51yearold Republican ruled South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, when she was appointed US Ambassador to the United Nations by Trump. She remained in office from January 2017 to October 2018. If elected, she will be the first female President of the United States and the first woman of Indian descent to hold the office.
Haley was born in Bamberg, South Carolina and is a graduate of Clemson University. She worked for her family’s clothing boutique, including as an accountant, before winning the first of three terms in the state House of Representatives.
Because of her family roots, the precandidate grew up hearing racial slurs in a small town in South Carolina and has long pointed to the impact on her personal and political life. In the threeandahalfminute video, the Republican referenced that past, saying she was “not black, not white — I was different” growing up.
Nevertheless, he emphasized that the USA is not a racist country: “Nothing could be further from the truth.” In the background of her video were images of media reports about the New York Times Pulitzer Prizewinning “Project 1619” which revolved around the country’s history of slavery.
She was elected governor in 2010, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the state. After a 2015 mass shooting at an African American church in Charleston by a white supremacist, she called for the Confederate flag to be removed from the state capital.
Haley’s campaign was encouraged by many polls showing Trump winning less than 50% of Republican voters in a hypothetical multicandidate field. His entry into the race underscores the former president’s failure to deter rivals in his third presidential campaign, announced in November after a disappointing midterm election for Republicans.
Though it’s the first to launch the campaign, other prominent names in the party such as former Trump Vice President Mike Pence, former chief of diplomacy Mike Pompeo and California Gov. Ron DeSantis are possible precandidates./ NYT, AFP and AP