OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former South Carolina governor and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley is opening a new chapter in her career after failing to capture the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Haley, who served as the Palmetto State’s governor for two terms, is joining the Washington, D.C.-based Hudson Institute, according to Fox News.
“Nikki is a proven, effective leader on both foreign and domestic policy,” Hudson President and CEO John P. Walters noted in a statement Monday. “In an era of worldwide political upheaval, she has remained a steadfast defender of freedom and an effective advocate for American security and prosperity. We are honored to have her join the Hudson team.”
During her White House campaign, Haley promoted a robust U.S. foreign policy approach to address global flashpoints like the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the clashes involving Israel and Hamas. This stance often stood in stark contrast to Trump’s “America First” agenda, which aimed to steer clear of international engagements.
During the GOP presidential primary debates, Haley often engaged in heated exchanges with rival Vivek Ramaswamy, who advocated for Trump’s “America First” philosophy regarding the nation’s role overseas.
“When our policymakers fail to call out our enemies or acknowledge the importance of our alliances, the world is less safe. That is why Hudson’s work is so critical,” Haley said. “They believe the American people should have the facts and policymakers should have the solutions to support a secure, free, and prosperous future. I look forward to partnering with them to defend the principles that make America the greatest country in the world.”
Haley, who was the recipient of the Hudson Institute’s global leadership award in 2018 while serving as U.N. ambassador, has been appointed as the Walter P. Stern Chair at the institute. According to officials, the position was created four years ago to commemorate a former chair “who was instrumental in making Hudson one of Washington’s most respected research organizations.”
Haley suspended her White House campaign on March 6, the day Trump won 14 of the 15 nominating contests on Super Tuesday. But when she did, she also refused to immediately back Trump and indicated that she planned to continue speaking out against some of his policies.
“While I will no longer be a candidate, I will not stop using my voice for the things I believe in,” she said at the time from her campaign headquarters in Charleston.
“It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him. And I hope he does that,” Haley said last month. “This is now his time for choosing.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s historic hush money trial kicked off in Manhattan Monday morning, with presiding Judge Juan Merchan refusing to recuse himself from the case despite what appears to many legal experts to be a clear bias against the former president.
“Nothing like this has ever happened before,” Trump said at the courthouse Monday. “This is political persecution … it’s a case that should have never been brought.”
“This is an assault on America and that’s why I’m very proud to be here,” he added.
Fox News noted:
Dubbed the “hush money” case, the trial focuses on payments made by Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, to former pornographic actor Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. The $130,000 payment was to allegedly quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital affair she had with the then-real estate tycoon in 2006.
Trump has denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to the 34 charges against him.
Prosecutors have claimed that the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen for his payments and falsely recorded them as legal expenses. Though falsifying business records is a misdemeanor, prosecutors are trying to prove that Trump falsified records with the intention of committing or concealing a second crime, which would be a felony.
