Nikki Haley tossed her hat in the presidential ring, announcing Tuesday that she is seeking the GOP nomination in 2024.
Haley, who served as former Ambassador to the United Nations under President Donald Trump, now becomes his first officially declared opponent.
In a video posted online, the former governor of South Carolina declared that it’s “time for a new generation.”
The comment immediately highlights her relative youth – she is 51 years old – compared to that of Trump or even President Biden.
Haley noted her background as the “proud daughter of Indian immigrants,” warned of the dangers being presented by the socialist left, and touted her credentials as a tough female candidate.
“They all think we can be bullied, kicked around,” she said. “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.”
Get excited! Time for a new generation.
Let’s do this! 👊 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/BD5k4WY1CP
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) February 14, 2023
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RELATED: Nikki Haley to Take on Trump in 2024? She Claims She’s ‘Not Going to Lose’
Nikki Haley Doesn’t Intend to Lose the GOP Nomination in 2024
The Political Insider reported last month that Nikki Haley was likely to get into the race for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. And she wasn’t lacking in confidence.
Haley at the time ran down a litany of failures in the Biden administration and said it was time for a “new direction.”
“Do I think I could be that leader? Yes, but we are still working through things and we’ll figure it out,” she said. “I’ve never lost a race. I said that then, I still say that now. I’m not going to lose now.”
‘I CAN BE THAT LEADER’: Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley hints at 2024 presidential run during exclusive interview with Bret Baier pic.twitter.com/KAa7qnjzgl
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 19, 2023
Donald Trump has yet to remark on Haley’s announcement specifically, but did let followers on his Truth Social media platform know that he is still “doing great in poll numbers.”
“Leading all Republicans by a lot, also leading Biden by a very wide margin,” he wrote.
Trump added that his numbers continue to look good even despite the weaponization of the federal government to take him down, as he suggested they “hope that I will be damaged enough to allow a RINO, or Biden, to ‘slip through the cracks.’”
RELATED: Nikki Haley Already Concedes To Trump In 2024… If He Runs
Can She Win?
Haley, like many likely Republican candidates, has some conservative credentials but also has some significant missteps to contend with.
She was a very effective ambassador to the United Nations, making it clear that she was interested in promoting the Trump administration’s America First platform from day one.
“We care more about being right than popular and are once again standing up for our interests and values,” she told the body.
Nikki Haley promises “fresh eyes” at the UN: “For those that don’t have our back, we’re taking names.” https://t.co/hc8h8mD9y9 pic.twitter.com/lqXYuyceAE
— ABC News (@ABC) January 27, 2017
But then for every example such as that, there are always the slip-ups – such as promoting the Bubba Wallace race hoax or bowing to the woke mob in other instances.
Haley also jumped aboard the ‘Trump incited an insurrection’ train, calling him a failure to the Republican Party.
“We need to acknowledge he let us down. He went down a path he shouldn’t have, and we shouldn’t have followed him, and we shouldn’t have listened to him,” she told a Politico reporter.
“And we can’t let that ever happen again.”
Haley later predicted Trump would never be able to run for office again.
“He’s not going to run for federal office again … I don’t think he’s going to be in the picture. I don’t think he can. He’s fallen so far,” she insisted.
“Trump’s going to find himself further and further isolated.” “I don’t think he’s going to be in the picture. He’s fallen so far.” “We need to acknowledge he let us down. He went down a path he shouldn’t have, we shouldn’t have followed him.” – Nikki Haley, 2021
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) September 21, 2022
While Haley is confident she isn’t going to lose, the polls look pretty bleak for her at the moment.
A Morning Consult poll shows Trump leading Florida Governor DeSantis by 16 points in a hypothetical GOP primary matchup between the two conservative favorites.
Haley comes in with just 3% support in that same poll, 44 points behind Trump, 29 points behind DeSantis, 4 points behind former Vice President Mike Pence, and tied with Senator Ted Cruz and newly ousted congresswoman Liz Cheney.
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