Op-ed by Preston Parra | Photo: Alamy
Nikki Haley is a woman who, for a while, attracted support due to her seemingly charismatic charm and feminine approach to politics. However, any candidate’s true colors are often brought to the surface by their track record and commitment to values like loyalty and integrity.
In early 2016, Nikki Haley seemed to oppose then-candidate, Donald Trump, characterizing him as someone who was “not a part of our party,” even going as far as saying that he was one of the “angriest voices.”
Following President Trump’s primary victory to be the nominee of the Republican Party in 2016, Haley quickly changed her tune.
While attending the Republican National Convention, Haley was asked if she would support Trump, to which she responded “of course.”
After being appointed to become ambassador to the United Nations by President Trump, Haley continued her support for a second Trump presidency in 2020, saying that “Donald Trump has always put America first. And he has earned four more years as president,” and later said that “we should not want to go back to the Republican Party before Trump.”
Haley’s apparent commitment to President Trump seemed to be solid when she promised, “I would not run if President Trump ran, and I would talk to him about it.”
However, rumors began circulating of possible Republican candidates that might choose to compete again President Trump for the 2024 GOP nomination. Following President Trump’s 2024 announcement, Haley commented, “So do I think I could be that leader? Yes, But we are still working through things and we’ll figure it out. I’ve never lost a race. I said that then I still say that now. I’m not going to lose now.”
On Feb. 4, Haley announced that she was going to throw her hat in the race for the nomination, but what changed? She committed to not challenging President Trump and suddenly threw that commitment out the door.
From Haley’s initial run for office being inspired by Hillary Clinton to her most recent betrayal of someone she had once credited so much, it appears that voters might be concerned over the credibility of campaign promises and overall integrity she brings to the table.