Here Comes Nikki Haley: As much as he likely expected or wanted it, Donald Trump won’t be anointed the Republican Party‘s candidate for the 2024 presidential election, and instead will likely face at least a few challengers for the nomination.
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Nikki Haley in for 2024
While several names are already being touted including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, it looks like former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley will be the first to enter the race and challenge Trump.
She will officially kick off her 2024 presidential run in two weeks, on February 15, and it comes after Haley has teased her bid for weeks – which included a tweeted video earlier this week in which she stated, “It’s time for a new generation to lead.”
That dig was likely as much aimed at the former president, who is now 78 years old, as well as at the current occupant of the Oval Office, President Joe Biden, who turned 80 in November. Should she actually secure the GOP nomination and be elected, she’d be the first “Generation X” president.
Both Trump and Biden are from the so-called “Silent Generation” while former Presidents George W. Bush and Barrack Obama were “Baby Boomers.”
Haley, who also served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, would actually turn 53 on inauguration day in 2024, and would be a year younger than Bush when he took office in 2001, but six years older than Obama.
A Conservative Woman
Although more than 20 women had run for president, no woman has yet won.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination in 2016 but was defeated by Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris became the first woman to hold the number two job under Biden, who was elected in 2020.
Currently, only Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota is the only other Republican woman who is believed to be considering a 2024 GOP presidential bid.
However, Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, has described herself as the embodiment of the American Dream. She was able to graduate from college, became a successful businesswoman, and even won long-shot races in South Carolina. She is also now on the board of Boeing.
More importantly, Haley could help the GOP attract support from nonwhites, The Wall Street Journal noted.
Challenging Trump
Though Haley had told The Associated Press in 2021 that she wouldn’t run, if Trump ran, clearly she’s had a change of heart – possibly seeing like many in the Republican ranks that Trump is simply a losing horse to bet on.
He will face a slew of lawsuits, and could even find himself under indictment.
Trump recently told WIS-TV and claimed that Haley had called him to discuss her potential White House bid. He apparently had pointed out her earlier pledge but said he didn’t attempt to dissuade her.
“She said she would never run against me because I was the greatest president, but people change their opinions, and they change what’s in their hearts,” Trump said. “So I said, if your heart wants to do it, you have to go do it.”
It seems that Nikki Haley has made up her mind, and running is in her heart. She could be the GOP candidate that is even able to defeat Joe Biden.
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Author Experience and Expertise: A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
