Nikki Haley’s entrance into the 2024 Republican presidential race is offering the first demonstration of the difficult task awaiting other potential GOP candidates, as she seeks to stand out in what could become a crowded field – without directly attacking former President Donald Trump or alienating his supporters.
Since announcing her White House bid Tuesday, Haley has focused on her argument for generational change after a 2020 election in which both major-party nominees were in their 70s.
On NBC’s “Today Show” on Thursday, Haley called the questions about how she’ll differentiate herself from Trump a media creation. “You guys are obsessed with me talking about him,” she said of the president who appointed her ambassador to the United Nations.
But that deflection ignored the reality that Trump and Haley are to date the only major candidates to officially enter the 2024 Republican race. And only one can win.
Haley insisted that she is focused on defeating President Joe Biden, rather than engaging with Trump.
“I don’t kick sideways, I kick forward. And what I’m telling you is Joe Biden has not led,” Haley said.
The questions Haley faces now are a preview of the Trump two-step that awaits every prospective Republican presidential hopeful: How can they prove their own mettle without alienating a base that remains loyal to Trump – all while under a barrage of attacks from Trump himself?
How Haley navigates that question could provide lessons for other Republicans preparing to launch their own presidential campaigns.
For his part, Trump is showing no restraint in attacking those who could challenge him for the party’s 2024 nomination.
On his social media network Truth Social, the former president claimed Thursday morning he had appointed Haley – then the governor of South…
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