Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is the only person standing in the way of Donald Trump receiving the 2024 Republican party presidential nomination. So, is she a viable threat or just the final obstacle Trump will overcome to snatch the nomination?
Haley is the clear underdog in the race, coming in third in the Iowa Republican caucus last week with 19.1% of the vote. Just ahead of her was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, with 21.2%, who dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump following the loss. Trump had a landslide victory with 51% of the vote.
Following DeSantis’ withdrawal from the race, Trump set his sights on his next competitor: Haley. Unfortunately for her, Trump's aim was accurate in the New Hampshire primary. According to CNN, Trump won with 54.6% of the vote, compared to Haley’s 43.3%. Although this is a significant improvement for Haley from the Iowa Caucuses, many people think this loss cements Trump’s nomination.
Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel stated in an interview with Fox News that she could not see Haley securing the nomination over Trump. “I’m looking at the map and the path going forward, and I don’t see it for Nikki Haley.” She went on to add, “We need to unite around our eventual nominee, which is Donald Trump and we need to make sure we beat Joe Biden.”
Despite her loss and increasing pressure from Trump and other officials to end her campaign, Haley stated that she has no intention of dropping out. According to a New York Times article, Haley assured an election watch party in New Hampshire on Tuesday, January 23, that the race was “far from over.” She went on to explain that New Hampshire was merely the first step in this journey, adding that the next state was her “sweet state of South Carolina,” her home state where she served as governor for six years.
Haley’s assertion that they were just beginning was backed up by her campaign manager, Betsy Ankeny, in a memo released to the New York Times on Tuesday morning. In this memo, she denied that Trump’s nomination was secured or inevitable. Ankeny stated in her memo that there was still plenty of “fertile ground for Nikki,” explaining that “eleven of the 16 Super Tuesday states have open or semi-open primaries.”
Haley is basing her platform on uniting moderate Republicans and Independents against Trump. This is where the importance of open and semi-open primaries comes in because voters are given the opportunity to cast their ballot for whoever they see fit, regardless of any political affiliation.
In her concession speech on Tuesday, Haley doubled down on why her receiving the nomination over Trump is in the best interest of the country. The main issues she touched on were Trump’s “chaos” and age. “With Donald Trump, you have one bout of chaos after another,” she said. Haley aligned herself with Trump’s values but not his actions and explained that she is the alternative the country needs.
Haley went on to question whether or not Trump or Biden were fit for office, calling again for mental competency tests for politicians over the age of 75. “The first party to retire its 80-year-old candidate is going to win this election,” she said to the crowd on Tuesday. “I say it should be the Republicans!”
Haley continues to be unlikely competition for Trump in the race for the Republican nomination, but that doesn't seem to stop her from trying.
