[News Figures] Could She Rival Trump? Rising Republican Figure 'Nikki Haley'

Republican Candidate Leads Polls Over DeSantis
Supported by 'Anti-Trump' Forces Including Wall Street
Key Issue is Rallying Support Amid Large Gap with Trump

"The president must possess 'moral clarity' and be able to distinguish between good and evil. Now is the time for a 'new generation' of conservative leadership."

On the 30th of last month (local time), this message was featured in the first TV advertisement of former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, a prominent 'non-Trump' Republican presidential contender. The 30-second TV ad contained expressions seemingly targeting former President Donald Trump, who is currently facing lawsuits over various moral issues such as sexual harassment and tax evasion allegations.

Nikki Haley, former UN Ambassador
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News>

Although the polling gap between former President Trump and Haley is over 50 percentage points, Haley, who has recently emerged as a leading candidate for the next presidency, sent this message to the public as a check against him.

Defeats DeSantis to Become 2nd in Republican Polls...Chasing Trump

Former Ambassador Haley is gaining attention in the Republican candidate race ahead of the November election next year. While support for former President Trump within the Republican Party remains overwhelming, an increasing number of voters are growing weary of a rematch between current President Joe Biden and former presidents, leading Haley to emerge as an alternative.

Of course, in terms of polling, no one in the Republican Party has yet surpassed former President Trump. According to a poll by The Messenger and Harris reported by political media The Hill on the 30th of last month, Trump's support within the party was an overwhelming 68%. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ranked second with 9%, and former Ambassador Haley was third with 7%.

Despite this gap in support, Haley has recently drawn attention because she is threatening Governor DeSantis, who was expected to unite the non-Trump faction within the party.

Compared to a poll conducted by the same organization a month earlier, Governor DeSantis's support dropped by 3 percentage points in just over a month. The gap between him and Haley narrowed from 5 percentage points to 2 percentage points. DeSantis, once considered a strong contender against Trump, has struggled due to a lack of notable activity and various setbacks, including the resignation of his chief fundraiser, causing turmoil.

Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley (left in photo) and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaking during the Republican presidential candidate debate on the 8th of last month [Image source=Getty Images Yonhap News]

In particular, polls conducted in Iowa, where the first Republican primary will be held on January 15 next year, and New Hampshire, the second primary stage, showed Haley's support matching or even surpassing that of Governor DeSantis. While DeSantis has been plagued by setbacks, Haley's performance in Republican candidates' TV debates has been praised for boosting her support.

Haley's Supporters: Anti-Trump Republicans

The reason Haley is gaining such momentum is that among Republican supporters or conservatives, there are those who do not want former President Trump to be re-elected and are seeking an alternative candidate.

First, the political group Americans for Prosperity (AFP), led by conservative billionaire Charles Koch, announced on the 28th of last month that it supports Haley. Although it supports the Republican Party, it is critical of former President Trump, who pursued protectionism and hardline immigration policies, as it advocates conservative free-market ideology.

The group initially considered supporting Governor DeSantis but switched its support to Haley after her rapid rise in recent polls. Ultimately, the support was not so much for Haley herself but for anyone who could block former President Trump.

Prominent Wall Street figures, a key support base for the Republican Party, have also come out in support of Haley. They positively evaluate her stance on cutting taxes and government spending and maintaining the Republican Party's traditional foreign policy. They also highly regard her commitment to upholding the Republican position advocating the overturning of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling recognizing abortion rights.

Jamie Dimon, Chairman of JP Morgan
[Photo by Reuters]

A leading figure supporting Haley is Jamie Dimon, Chairman of JP Morgan. At a New York Times (NYT) event on the 29th of last month, he directly stated that Haley could be a good alternative to former President Trump. According to the NYT, Dimon personally called Haley at the end of October to express his support.

Haley held a fundraising event in New York in mid-last month, where she had breakfast meetings with financial figures such as Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, and attracted major Wall Street figures to a dinner co-hosted by former Goldman Sachs Chairman Gary Cohn. They value Haley's diplomatic skills and are betting on her positive national outlook.

In political circles, it is considered important for Haley to secure financial resources and organizational strength based on this support to create a two-person race against former President Trump. Since the current polling gap is large, it means she needs to narrow the gap. There is also speculation that non-Trump candidates within the Republican Party may unite.

Jennifer Rubin, a Washington Post (WP) columnist, said, "It will not be easy for Haley to become the winner due to the majority of primary voters being trapped by Trump," but added, "However, this very fact makes her the only candidate who can prevent an existential threat to democracy in the primaries and stop former President Trump."

In Her 50s, Indian-American...Once Considered for Secretary of State in Trump Administration

Nikki Haley, former UN Ambassador, and her family (Photo by Nikki Haley official website)

Born in 1972 and now 51 years old, former Ambassador Haley is an American politician and diplomat born in South Carolina. Considering President Biden is 81 and former President Trump is 77, she is truly 'young blood.'

Haley is the only woman among the seven Republican candidates. She has said she dreamed of becoming a female politician inspired by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but unlike Clinton, who often wore pantsuits, Haley frequently wears skirt suits and high heels.

She is a second-generation Indian immigrant. Her parents, Indian and legal scholars, moved to the U.S. via Canada and settled in South Carolina. Growing up in the U.S., she majored in accounting at Clemson University. After graduating, she joined her family's clothing business, handling accounting and finance, and was active in civic activities.

Her political career began in 2004 when she ran for the South Carolina House of Representatives. Although it was her first run, she defeated incumbent Larry Koon in the primary and served as a state representative until 2011. While serving as a representative in 2009, she ran for governor of South Carolina in the 2010 election, won, and served her first term from 2011 to 2014. She was re-elected in the 2013 election and served a second term until 2017.

Although Haley is focusing on becoming a competitor to former President Trump, she actually worked in the Trump administration.

In 2018, then U.S. President Donald Trump is holding the hand of Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, while speaking.
[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Former President Trump nominated Haley as UN Ambassador shortly after his inauguration on January 20, 2017. She was initially considered for Secretary of State but reportedly declined. Haley supported the Trump administration's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and the UN Human Rights Council. She resigned from her ambassador post in October 2018 amid allegations of misconduct.

After resigning as UN Ambassador, Haley referred to Trump as a "friend" and often said she was "proud" to have worked with him. However, after the January 6 Capitol riot in 2021, she criticized him, saying he "let us down."

Haley's husband is William Michael Haley, an officer in the South Carolina Army National Guard, and they have two children.