Governor of South Carolina, Donald Trump’s one-time UN ambassador, member of the Tea Party, anti-abortion, supporter of Israel, daughter of Indian immigrants, Republican.
The 51-year-old has had all this Nimrata Nikki Haley. Now he is also the first to sign up to challenge Trump in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
Trump’s opponent, supporter, challenger
When Donald Trump ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, Haley didn’t just support his opponent Marco Rubiobut fiercely opposed Trump.
Haley said she was annoyed by Trump and criticized his reluctance to condemn white supremacists.
When Trump became president, Haley joined his administration.
– I am proud to serve this administration and I enthusiastically support most of its decisions and the direction in which it is taking the country, Haley wrote in an opinion piece at the time. (you switch to another service)
Haley’s presidential dreams have been nurtured for a long time. At the end of Trump’s presidency, however, Haley promised not to run if Trump seeks re-election in 2024, says, among other things Voice of America website. (you switch to another service)
He continued to support Trump even after a group of Trump supporters stormed Congress at the end of 2020.
On Wednesday, however, Haley entered the Republican presidential race.
Haley will hardly remain Trump’s only challenger. The list of possible other significant challengers is long.
News channel according to CNN (you will switch to another service) the governor of Florida, among others, may also aspire to be the Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantisserved as Trump’s vice president Mike Pencea Texas senator Ted Cruzthe Trump administration’s secretary of state Mike Pompeo as well as one of the few Republicans who opposed Trump’s election fraud claims in Congress, Liz Cheney.
Researcher: Haley can bring a different perspective to the race
American political researcher and non-fiction writer Maria Lindén finds it interesting that a woman with an immigrant background, who is also relatively young, will join the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
Presidents in the United States have usually been relatively elderly white men. Trump and the current president born in the 1940s Joe Biden are decades older than Haley, who was born in 1972.
Haley herself has emphasized that a representative of a new generation is needed for the presidency. 80 years of age should not be a requirement, he told the news channel NBC. (you switch to another service)
In 2010, Nikki Haley was the first woman and the first non-white to be elected governor of South Carolina. At the age of 38, he was also the youngest governor of the United States up to that time. When Haley became UN ambassador, she was the first American of Indian descent to serve in a presidential administration.
– He perhaps brings a slightly different perspective to, for example, election debates, says Lindén Yelle, who works at the Foreign Policy Institute, in a telephone interview.
At the same time, Lindén points out that Haley’s gender, age and immigrant background are not necessarily in her favor when competing for the Republican presidential nomination.
Civilized politics
Haley represents moderation in the Republican Party.
– He has said that he does not believe in an attacking style, where one tries to wear down the opponent, but in cooperation that crosses party lines. To make politics in a civilized manner and treat everyone with respect and try to make compromises, says Lindén.
He states that this is not the spirit of the times among all supporters of the Republican Party
– With her words, Haley can appeal to potential Republican voters who find Trump’s candidacy very alien. But it doesn’t seem likely at the moment that there would be enough voters longing for such moderate candidates for Haley to succeed, Lindén estimated.
China the most dangerous opponent
Nikki Haley is estimated to represent a hard line in foreign policy. He has emphasized that the United States should be strong and proud.
Haley prompts (you go to another service)the West to defend against the threat of Russia, China and Iran. He has photographed China (you will switch to another service)t to be the worst opponent in American history.
While working as a UN ambassador he was one (you switch to another service) Among the fiercest opponents of the nuclear deal with Iran and A vocal supporter of Israel (you will switch to another service).
He opposes abortion rights and requires (you switch to another service)increasing border security and domestic oil and gas production. He also wants to cancel (you switch to another service) illegal immigration, but welcomes legal immigrants.
Haley is passionate defender of capitalism (you will switch to another service) and considers that the free market economy is not free enough.
Haley has spoken publicly about the racism she experienced as a child, but denies that the United States is an institutionally racist country, says, among others, The New York Times. (you switch to another service)
Nikki Haley was raised Sikh, but has converted to Christianity. Haley, who studied to be an accountant, is married and has two grown children.
Your relationship with Trump is apparently fine
Nikki Haley told Trump in advance that she intends to seek the presidential nomination. Haley said though news channel in NBC’s Today program (you switch to another service)that he did not ask for Trump’s approval.
Trump, for his part, said news channel in an interview with Fox (you will switch to another service) that he was “delighted” by Haley’s nomination. He also said Haley should not feel bound by her earlier promise not to run against Trump. Trump stated that other of his previous supporters may also join the race.
According to Lindén, it also says something about the relationship between Trump and Haley that when Haley registered as a candidate, the first message of Trump’s campaign was fact-based.
It criticized Haley’s policies, but did not attack her as a person or name her
– Trump likes to come up with nicknames for his political opponents, Lindén reminds.
According to Lindén, Trump is not as popular as before, and when there are more counter-candidates for him, it will be interesting to see from the opinion polls how Trump’s popularity develops.
– Very few have publicly supported Trump’s candidacy. This shows that Trump has no shortcut to the nomination.
According to Lindén, many in the Republican Party are tired of Trump as a person because of this ballast, but not so much Trumpism.
– Many people think that the best candidate would be someone Trumpist, who would not have Trump’s ballast but would have the same ideological appeal.
Haley’s chances of winning Lindé are not considered very good at the moment, although it is still too early to say.
– At the moment, he is in the position of the underdog. He himself has reminded that he has never lost an election, even though he has been the underdog. In this case, however, the rise may be more difficult, Lindén states.