US: What does Trump's first opponent Nikki Haley stand for?

Former governor and US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley announced she would join the 2024 presidential race. Her move for the Republican Party nomination marks a U-turn from her 2021 promise not to mount a bid for the White House should Donald Trump run for reelection.

In a video announcement of her bid for the Republican nomination for president, Haley did not mention the 76-year-old former president by name, instead saying it was "time for a new generation of leadership."

Haley's age, ethnicity and gender all set her apart in a Republican Party typically dominated by older white men.  

Inspired by Hillary Clinton to run for office

Nikki Haley was born in 1972 to Indian immigrant parents and grew up in the small town of Bamberg, South Carolina, a staunchly Republican state since the 1980s. She was raised as a Sikh and later converted to Christianity.

Before getting into politics, Haley studied accounting at Clemson University, graduating with a bachelor's degree, while working for her parent's clothing business, Exotica International.

Her political career began in 2004 when she won a seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives. She was elected twice and ran on a platform of promoting tax cuts, controlling immigration and restricting access to abortion.

Speaking to The New York Times in 2012, she said Hillary Clinton had originally inspired her to stand for election. After seeing her speak at Birmingham University, Haley said she told herself "that's it, I'm running for office."

First woman and person of color to govern South Carolina

Haley made history in 2011 when she became the first woman and first person of color to govern the state of South Carolina. Then 38, she was also the country's youngest serving governor at the time. Haley only narrowly beat her Democratic rival, Vincent Sheheen, despite South Carolina being a Republican stronghold.

Haley secured reelection as South Carolina governor in 2014, again competing against Sheheen, this time clearly beating the Democratic Party's contender. 

Haley would become a household name the following year. After a shooting at a church in Charleston in 2015 when a white supremacist killed nine Black parishioners, Haley had the Confederate battle flag — regarded by some as a symbol of racism — removed from state Capitol grounds.

During her six years as South Carolina governor, Haley prioritized economic growth, cutting taxes and tightening immigration laws. She opposed Syrian refugee resettlement in her state, and she also imposed restrictions on abortions.

From Trump critic to adviser and ambassador

In the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, Haley backed first Republican senators Marco Rubio and then Ted Cruz, telling audiences at a campaign rally "Donald Trump is everything I taught my children not to do in kindergarten." She also rebuked Trump for failing to disavow the racist Ku Klux Klan.

Then Trump won the Republican nomination and ultimately the presidential election. When he asked Haley to serve as US ambassador to the United Nations, she agreed — seemingly dropping her aversion to Trump. In a testament to her popularity, the US Senate later confirmed her nomination by an overwhelming majority despite her lack of foreign policy experience.

As the UN ambassador, Haley developed a reputation as a strong ally of Israel and a fierce critic of Iran and North Korea. She enjoyed consistently high approval ratings throughout her ambassadorship, even when Trump's ratings tanked.

Haley resigned from her post in 2018.

Skilled operator, opportunist or both?

Some analysts, such as Thomas Greven of Berlin's John F. Kennedy Institute, regard Haley as an "opportunist."

"She is relatively skilled at navigating the Republican Party's populist current — which Donald Trump did not introduce but certainly made its trademark — and the necessities of serving her own clientele," Greven said, adding Haley is a "pro-business candidate" who will appeal to traditional Republicans who care about "low taxes, deregulation, liberalization, privatization and weak unions."

But to be successful, he said, Haley will need to learn to "navigate the right-wing populist current in the Republican environment, too, especially regarding culture war issues."

Is Nikki Haley a threat to Donald Trump?

It's questionable she stands a chance against former President Trump, who seems unfazed by her candidacy.

"Maybe he [Trump] thinks that of the candidates […] as potential Republican nominees, she is the weakest and least likely, so if he supports her that helps him," said Mildred Elizabeth Sanders, a professor emeritus from the Department of Government at Cornell University.

This is echoed by Greven.

"Donald Trump is not concerned about her candidacy because he knows exactly that her support among Republicans has a low ceiling," he said.

Haley's bid could even benefit Trump given the first-past-the-poll primaries, Greven added: "If someone like her garners somewhere between 5% and 10% in the primaries, that can only help Trump because it dilutes the opposition."

"That's why, for example, he hasn't come up with a derogatory nickname for her yet," Greven said. "The moment Trump starts taking her seriously as a political rival, he's going to start calling her names."

Edited by: Sean Sinico