Nikki Haley officially announces presidential run at event in Charleston

Watch WIS News 10 at 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Published: Feb. 14, 2023 at 7:34 AM EST
Email This Link
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Wednesday morning saw preparations underway for Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign announcement event. Her event kicked off around 11 a.m.

Haley launched her campaign with a call for generational change in Washington.

She also rejected what she derided as “identity politics” dividing the United States.

The former governor said Republicans have lost the popular vote in recent elections because they failed to win the confidence of a majority of Americans.

Haley is the first major Republican to officially challenge former president Donald Trump.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is officially running for president.

Tuesday morning Haley posted to social media with the announcement.

A website also went active for her campaign. Tuesday’s announcement comes after months of speculation and hints that she might run for the GOP ticket.

Haley had originally been expected to announce her run on Wednesday, Feb. 15th.

RELATED COVERAGE

Nikki Haley planning Feb. 15 launch for 2024 White House bid

Taylor Budowich, head of Make America Great Again Inc., released the following statement Tuesday in response to Haley’s campaign announcement:

Nikki Haley is just another career politician. She started out as a Never Trumper before resigning to serve in the Trump admin. She then resigned early to go rake in money on corporate boards. Now, she’s telling us she represents a ‘new generation.’ Sure just looks like more of the same, a career politician whose only fulfilled commitment is to herself.

The Democratic National Committee Chair, Orangeburg, South Carolina native Jaime Harrison, released the following statement in response to Haley’s entrance into the 2024 Republican primary:

“Nikki Haley served in Donald Trump’s administration, has embraced the most extreme elements of the MAGA agenda, and couldn’t even identify a single policy difference between herself and Trump. Her governorship in South Carolina included signing an extreme abortion ban into law with no exceptions for rape or incest, endorsing a plan to end Medicare as we know it, pushing for tax cuts that benefit the ultra-wealthy and corporations, and refusing to expand Medicaid to provide affordable health care access for hundreds of thousands of South Carolinians. Haley’s entrance officially kicks off a messy 2024 primary race for the MAGA base that has long been brewing. Everyone get your popcorn.”

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham posted on Twitter in reaction to the announcement Tuesday.

Notice a spelling or grammar error in this article? Click or tap here to report it. Please include the article’s headline.

Stay up to date with WIS News 10. Get the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and Stream us on Roku, YouTube, Amazon Fire, or Apple TV.