Nikki Haley announces White House bid

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE SENIOR REPORTER

(The Center Square) — Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and presidential Cabinet member, is running for president.

Ms. Haley, 51, served as ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration.

In a Tuesday morning video posted to Twitter, she announced her plans — a shift from her previous stance that she would not challenge former President Donald Trump in 2024.

Mr. Trump, 76, announced his candidacy in November, shortly after the midterm elections.

President Joe Biden, 80, has said he will seek re-election. With 20-plus months until Election Day, they are the only three candidates.

Other GOP candidates being talked about include former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.

“The railroad tracks divided the town by race. I was the proud daughter of Indian immigrants — not black, not white. I was different,” Ms. Haley said to start a video announcing her candidacy. “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.”

If elected, Ms. Haley would be America’s first woman president as well as the first of Indian descent.

The kickoff video focuses on the themes of race, foreign threats and a “new generation of leadership.”

Ms. Haley is expected to officially kick off her campaign in Charleston, S.C. Her website lists an 11 a.m. event on Wednesday in The Shed at The Charleston Visitor Center.

“Some people look at America and see vulnerability,” Ms. Haley said in the video. “The socialist left sees an opportunity to rewrite history. China and Russia are on the march. They all think we can be bullied, kicked around. 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.”

Casey Harper works at The Center Square’s Washington, D.C., bureau.