COLUMBIA, S.C. — Former U.S. Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has formally announced she is running for President of the United States in 2024.
Haley made the announcement on Twitter with a three minute video posted just before 7 a.m. on Tuesday. A website for donations to her campaign has also launched.
"Even on our worst day, we are blessed to live in America. I was born and raised in South Carolina, so I have seen the very best of our country. People here threw out the old tired political establishment and demanded accountability for their tax dollars. Industry reports called us the Beast of the Southeast. Which I love. People came by the thousands for fresh start. Moms and dads held their heads up high. Children learn that it was always the great day in South Carolina," says Haley in part of the video. "We were strong. We were proud. And when evil did come, we turned away from fear toward God and the values that still make our country the freest and greatest in the world. We must turn in that direction again."
Democratic National Chair Jaime Harrison issued a 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."
Haley, 51, served as South Carolina's governor for six years before serving as President Donald Trump's ambassador to the United Nations. Haley will be the first contender to join the contest against her former boss. She had previously said she would not run if Trump ran in 2024.
Haley is scheduled to hold a formal announcement in Charleston on Wednesday. The event will be held at The Shed at The Charleston Visitor Center, located at 375 Meeting Street. It gets underway at 11 a.m. and people must RSVP to attend.
Haley, is the first in a long line of Republicans who are expected to launch 2024 campaigns in the coming months. Among them are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.