Who is Nikki Haley? Donald Trump’s opponent in the Republican primaries has an atypical background. Here are 5 things to know about the American.
A female politician is making a name for herself in the United States. In France, the reshuffle of the new Prime Minister saw the return to the government of Rachida Dati (whose “forced marriage” ruined her life) and the arrival of Stéphane Séjourné, whose break with Gabriel Attal was confirmed. But across the Atlantic, the battle for the Republican primaries is raging and one personality stands out.
Who will succeed Joe Biden? The former vice-president of Barack Obama replaced Donald Trump in the White House but will have to run again in November 2024. And he could well face the same opponent again. Unless Nikki Haley wins against the billionaire. The only opponent still in the running, she was beaten in Iowa and New Hampshire but has not said her last word. Discover five things to know about the Republican.
The rest after this ad
Who is Nikki Haley, opponent of Donald Trump?
1. His origins earned him racist insults
Nikki Haley was born Nimarata Nikki Randhawa. His parents are Indians who arrived in South Carolina in 1969 with only $8 in their pocket. They then created a high-end textile business which became very lucrative. She is of Sikh religion but converted to Protestantism like her husband. It would sometimes have been “used” by the Republicans to counterbalance their image of “party of white men“. But her origins have above all earned her racist remarks, particularly in her native state, with its segregationist past. During her political career, she has also faced inappropriate remarks, including that of a parliamentarian in 2010: “We already have a turbaned man in the White House. We don’t need another one in the Governor’s Mansion”.
2. She is the first female governor in South Carolina
In 2010, Sarah Palin of the conservative Tea Party movement supported her campaign and she became governor of South Carolina. Not only is she the first woman to become one in this state, but she is also the first governor from a minority and the youngest in the country (at 44 years old). Until now, only white men had been elected president of South Carolina in 232 years. Very right-wing, she opposes marriage for all, taxes, unions and the reception of Syrian refugees. But in 2015, following a racist killing in a church, she finally agreed to remove the Confederate flag from parliament, a symbol of slavery.
3. She was an ambassador to the UN
With her sights set on “becoming the first woman elected president of the United States”, Nikki Haley continues her rise. Although she did not support Donald Trump in the Republican Party presidential primaries in 2016, he appointed her ambassador to the United Nations in 2017, despite her lack of international experience. During her two years in office, she passed sanctions against North Korea. She defends her president’s policies such as withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, leaving the Human Rights Council or moving the American embassy to Jerusalem.
4. She is anti-Trump
Nikki Haley is very critical of her opponent. She only supported him in the 2016 primaries when Ted Cruz withdrew. She even said at the time: “Some people think you have to have the loudest voice in a room to make a difference. This is not true. Often the best we can do is turn the volume down”. To which he replied that South Carolina was ashamed of itself. The only one not to have withdrawn and rallied to him for these 2024 primaries, she is becoming more and more virulent towards the former president. She particularly questions his mental abilities, due to his age, and compares him to Joe Biden. She also blames him for the riot at the Capitol. They haven’t spoken since. What’s more, she would have liked to get into politics after seeing a speech by Hillary Clinton, Trump’s opponent in 2016. As for the billionaire, he would not have forgiven her for having presented herself in front of him, after having swore she wouldn’t.
5. She has been married for 28 years
Nikki Haley is married to a National Guard officer, currently in Djibouti, with whom she had two children: a son named Nalin and a daughter called Rena. He is a native of Ohio and met his wife in 1989 while attending Clemson University. They were married in 1996 in a Sikh-Methodist ceremony in South Carolina. In 2012, he was deployed for a year to Afghanistan. A painful period of separation from family.
Nikki Haley is a rising figure in American and international politics to watch.
Editor for Aufeminin since 2022, Charlotte is passionate about cinema, French and international, and a fortune reader. Curious about everything, she talks as much about personalities as…