According to multiple sources, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is anticipated to announce her official bid for the 2024 presidency on February 15. The announcement, which is expected to take place in Charleston, will make Haley the second major GOP candidate and pit her against President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Political observers have been keeping a close eye on Haley, who served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during Trump’s administration, as a potential Republican presidential contender. She has traveled the country over the past two years through her political group Stand for America.
That organization helped several Republicans in the 2022 midterm elections. In addition, Haley has personally visited Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, which hold the first, second, and fourth contests in the Republican presidential nominating calendar.
Donald Trump gives Nikki Haley his blessing in announcing her presidential candidacy: “I would welcome the competition.” https://t.co/jw1xwrm8gy
— Not the Bee (@Not_the_Bee) February 1, 2023
In 2021, Haley told the Associated Press that she would not run if Trump did, but in a recent interview with Fox News, she said “a lot has changed” and hinted that she may have changed her mind. She repeated this sentiment in another recent interview, stating that “I think I can be” a leader.
Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants and who served as the first female governor of South Carolina, has received endorsements from former South Carolina First Lady Jenny Sanford and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in the past.
When asked about Haley’s potential run for the White House, Trump said he told her to “go by your heart” and that she “should do it.” However, he also noted Haley’s previous commitment not to run against him in the GOP primary if he decided to run.
According to South Carolina-based social conservative leader Dave Wilson, Haley has been laying the groundwork for a national launch ever since she left her post as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
Fellow South Carolinian Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) is also making moves that could lead toward the launch of a presidential campaign.
Haley’s official bid for the 2024 presidency marks a significant development in the race for the White House. It will be watched closely by political observers and supporters alike. As the first long-time Trump supporter to enter the race directly against the 45th president, she could break open a wide-open primary race that may not be resolved until next summer.
