OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Nikki Haley has officially announced her campaign for president of the United States and it did not take long for the naysayers to nail her.
“The Washington establishment has failed us over and over and over again. It’s time for a new generation of leadership to rediscover fiscal responsibility, secure our border, and strengthen our country, our pride, and our purpose,” said Haley, who served in the Trump administration as the ambassador to the United Nations.
“The railroad tracks divided the town by race. I was the proud daughter of Indian immigrants. Not Black, not White. I was different. But my mom would always say your job is not to focus on the differences but on the similarities. And my parents reminded me and my siblings every day how blessed we were to live in America,” she said.
The former South Carolina governor said that she had seen evil and it was not in the United States.
“Some look at our past as evidence that America’s founding principles are bad. They say the promise of freedom is just made up. Some think our ideas are not just wrong, but racist and evil. Nothing could be further from the truth,” she said. “I have seen evil. In China, they commit genocide. In Iran, they murder their own people for challenging the government. And when a woman tells you about watching soldiers throw her baby into a fire it puts things into perspective. Even on our worst day, we are blessed to live in America.”
“Some people look at America and see vulnerability,” she said. “The socialist left sees an opportunity to rewrite history. China and Russia are on the march. They all think we can be bullied, and kicked around. 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
Former President Donald Trump, who announced his candidacy for president, sent a message on his TruthSocial platform but did not mention Haley by name.
“Doing great in poll numbers. Leading all Republicans by a lot, also leading Biden by a very wide margin, which means that our weaponized Injustice Department, local D.A.’s, and Attorney Generals, will step up their illegal and unprecedented attacks in order to disparage me with false ‘bull….’ and statements in the hope that I will be damaged enough to allow a RINO, or Biden, to ‘slip through the cracks.’ But be careful, the American people get it, and don’t like what they are seeing. MAGA!!!” he said.
But it was not only Trump who spoke, as others disparaged Haley and her campaign.
“Girl, you should’ve saved your time and money,” Lavern Spicer said.
Girl, you should’ve saved your time and money.
— Lavern Spicer 🇺🇸 (@lavern_spicer) February 14, 2023
“Nikki Haley announced her candidacy this morning at 6:48am in the form of an uninspiring video that invoked her race, gender, and the ‘popular vote.’ She is clearly gunning for the NeverTrump vote and she will probably get it. She’s starting to sound like a closeted Democrat!” Ryan Fournier said.
Nikki Haley announced her candidacy this morning at 6:48am in the form of an uninspiring video that invoked her race, gender, and the “popular vote.”
She is clearly gunning for the NeverTrump vote and she will probably get it. She’s starting to sound like a closeted Democrat!
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) February 14, 2023
“President Trump picked Nikki Haley off the trash heap and resuscitated her failing political career. She betrayed President Trump and will betray the American people the same way. NOBODY wants to see traitorous Nikki Haley run for President. I’m sticking with President Trump,” Nick Adams said.
President Trump picked Nikki Haley off the trash heap and resuscitated her failing political career.
She betrayed President Trump and will betray the American people the same way.
NOBODY wants to see traitorous Nikki Haley run for President.
I’m sticking with President Trump.
— Nick Adams (Alpha Male) (@NickAdamsinUSA) February 14, 2023
“God bless you for having the courage to go on a journey to nowhere. You always say you’ve never lost a race. Well Nikki, unfortunately the time has come. You can’t win the nomination, let alone the election. I’m solid Trump. But good luck anyway,” another Twitter user said.
God bless you for having the courage to go on a journey to nowhere. You always say you’ve never lost a race. Well Nikki, unfortunately the time has come. You can’t win the nomination, let alone the election. I’m solid Trump. But good luck anyway.
— Dirty Prune (@Dirty_Prune) February 14, 2023
And the polling is not giving her any reason to believe she can defeat the former president, Reuters reported.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump leads a potentially wide field seeking the Republican nomination to run for president in 2024, with newly announced candidate Nikki Haley a distant fourth, according to a Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll.
Trump received support from 43% of registered Republicans in the new Feb. 6-13 poll, while 31% said they supported Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and just 4% picked former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who announced her White House run on Tuesday.
