Nikki Haley announced her 2024 presidential campaign on Tuesday night, Feb.14 in a social media video, and held her first campaign event in Charleston, South Carolina, on Wednesday, Feb. 15. The former South Carolina governor is the first rival to challenge Donald Trump who announced his presidential run for 2024 in November last year for the GOP nomination.

Haley, 51, was elected as the governor of South Carolina in 2011 and became the youngest governor when she took the office. She resigned during her second term and was appointed by president Trump to become the 29th U.S. Ambassador to the United Nation for two years, from January 2017 to December 2018 before she left her position in the U.N. On Dec. 31, 2018. Her successful achievement was praised by the former president as saying shes, “Done an incredible job.”

Having Indian heritage, Haley mentioned racism and white supremacy in her election campaign. She noted that America was not racist and the left’s focus on race was a form of pathetic self-loathing. 

Her establishment of handling the astounding “confederate flag removal,” happened in the wake of the 2015 mass shooting of nine Black churchgoers at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Haley convinced bipartisan state lawmakers to pass a bill to remove the flag, the banner that was wielded by the killer and was still flying on the ground of the state capitol. The next month, the bill was passed to take down the flag. Haley’s decisive action was hailed by her Republican colleagues and gained confidence for Haley’s political career. Godfrey, the famous comedian, says it was something that voters will always have in mind when they think of her.

In Haley’s campaign event, she referenced her leadership in the performance of the Mother Emanuel AME Church incident, saying “when evil did come, her voiceover interspersed with clips of Mother Emanuel. We turned away from fear, toward God and values that still make our country the freest and greatest in the world.” 

Following Donald Trump, Haley is the 2nd republican who announced the presidential run. Both will confront each other during the Republican Primary to win the party’s nomination. During an interview with Fox News, asked about how she thinks about her competing with Trump in the future primary debate, Haley said she didn’t focus on Trump but focuses on the current president Biden, instead. She said she focused more on the American people’s current struggling life situation of more and more children not being able to afford college tuition, the increasing groceries prices, and mothers’ grievances about the lack of infant formula. 

In 2021, Haley ever said that she wouldn’t challenge Mr. Trump if he was willing to run for president again, but she changed her mind this year by expressing her political vision of “generation change.”

“We are ready- ready to move past the stale ideas and faded names of the past,” Haley spoke to her supporters in the South Carolina campaign event on Feb. 15. She strongly calls on to give the voters a chance to elect a younger and energetic leader for the White House.

“Republicans have lost the popular vote in seven out of the last eight presidential elections. That must change,” Haley told supporters. “Joe Biden’s record is abysmal, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Washington establishment has failed us over and over and over again. It’s time for a new generation of leadership.”

Haley’s presidential announcement was encouraged by Trump who had a conversation with her in January. Trump affirmed and expected Haley’s presidential bid at that time.

Besides Haley, the Republicans of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott are both likely to jump in the race soon and are about to give a formal announcement later this year. Haley’s earlier announcement can help her attract more voters’ attention so that her political perspective will be promoted and valued with predominant effects. 

If Haley is elected, she will become the first female president of the United States.