Former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley became the second candidate to throw her hat in the ring for the 2024 presidential race on Tuesday, pitting herself against her former boss, Donald Trump. Haley has immediately sought to give the impression that she has something fresh to offer. She called for America to “move past the stale ideas and faded names of the past” and to embrace a “new generation to lead us in to the future.” The New York Times has framed Haley’s campaign as an attempt to “break with the Trump era,” and Vox reports that Haley is presenting herself as a “moderate” alternative to Trump.
But watch Haley’s first campaign video introducing her candidacy to voters, and you’ll quickly see that Haley isn’t bucking MAGA politics; she’s operating firmly within its parameters. So far Haley’s campaign looks like less an alternative to Trump than a candidate-centric bid to claim the MAGA torch for herself.
Haley charges straight into culture wars over American identity at the core of today’s MAGA worldview.
Haley’s video kicks off with her talking about the importance of looking for “similarities” among people, which seems to suggest she might be seeking to be a unity candidate. But about 30 seconds into her launch video, Haley charges straight into culture wars over American identity at the core of today’s MAGA worldview. “Some look at our past as evidence that America’s founding principles are bad. They say the promise of freedom is just made up,” Haley quietly says as a sentimental piano score plays in the background. “Some think our ideas are not just wrong, but racist and evil. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
As she speaks, a montage shows a woman talking about the “1619 Project,” The New York Times Magazine initiative which places slavery at the center of American historical narratives; Rep. Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez of New York speaking at a rally for Sen. Bernie Sanders;…
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