Nikki Haley Launches 2024 Presidential Bid, Calls for New Generation of Leadership

On Tuesday, Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United States ambassador to the United Nations, announced her presidential bid for the 2024 Republican nomination.^[0] Haley launched her campaign at the Charleston Visitor Center Wednesday morning, with a speech in which she emphasized the need for a “new generation of leadership” to strengthen America.

In a launch video, Haley took aim at liberal critics who claim the U.S.’s “ideas are not just wrong but racist and evil”. She also called for mental competency tests for politicians older than 75, a rule which would apply to both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.^[1]

Haley’s campaign has come as a surprise to many, including Trump himself. The former president responded with an email attack titled “The Real Nikki Haley”, which highlighted a statement she made in 2021 that she would not run for president if Trump was in the race.^[2]

Haley’s call for a new generation of leadership has been met with mixed reactions.^[3] U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, a House Freedom Caucus member who had supported Trump, endorsed Haley, calling her a “new vision” for the party.^[4] However, some have been skeptical of her bid, questioning what led her to believe her party’s primary voters want her middle-way messaging on race, gerontocracy, and electoral victories.

Haley will likely face an uphill battle, as she is polling in the low single digits in a contest likely to be dominated by Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis.^[5] Despite this, Haley remains confident in her bid, saying “If you’re tired of losing, put your trust in a new generation.^[6]

0. “Here are the Republicans considering 2024 presidential runs” CNN, 15 Feb. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/14/politics/2024-republican-presidential-contenders-list/index.html

1. “Contest for president in 2024 begins for Republicans with a foray into the culture wars” The Boston Globe, 15 Feb. 2023, https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/15/nation/2024-begins-gop-with-foray-into-culture-wars

2. “Trump attacks Haley on Medicare, Social Security cuts” The Hill, 15 Feb. 2023, https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3859590-trump-attacks-haley-on-medicare-social-security-cuts/

3. “The Jewish case for sending Nikki Haley to the White House in 2024” Forward, 15 Feb. 2023, https://forward.com/opinion/536263/nikki-haley-jewish-white-house-2024/

4. “Nikki Haley makes presidential run official in spirited Charleston launch” Charleston Post Courier, 15 Feb. 2023, https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/nikki-haley-makes-presidential-run-official-in-spirited-charleston-launch/article_142a533c-a331-11ed-9f08-7b4af4d5bd9b.html

5. “Nikki Haley's Announcement Video Is a Sloppy Mess” New York Magazine, 14 Feb. 2023, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/02/nikki-haley-needs-to-work-on-her-presidential-elevator-pitch.html

6. “Why Nikki Haley shouldn't be counted out just yet” POLITICO, 16 Feb. 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/16/nikki-haley-2024-campaign-launch-politics-analysis-00083195