Can Nikki Haley Become President?

After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ withdrawal, she is the only alternative to Donald Trump in the Republican Party. She says that Americans deserve more than a choice between two 80-year-olds who have problems remembering things.

“Until Russia ends its outrageous actions in Ukraine, the position of the U.S. will not waver. We condemn, in the strongest terms, Russia’s involvement in eastern Ukraine and its purported annexation of Crimea,” Nikki Haley said during a debate at the U.N. Security Council on May 29, 2018.

I remember it because I chaired that debate and met with her earlier to seek U.S. support to put Ukraine on the agenda. She didn’t hesitate to do it, despite Russia’s reluctance and the European states’ preference for monitoring Ukraine’s conflict through the Normandy Format.

Chaos Serves Trump

The debate turned out to be a turning point in our relations with Ukraine, which have significantly improved since then. Although the Security Council was not convinced to deploy a U.N. peacekeeping mission and to appoint a special envoy of the secretary-general for Ukraine, we didn’t allow the international community to forget this conflict. To this day, Haley has remained a staunch supporter of aid to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress has become hostage to a group of radicals from the Republican Party. Chaos serves Trump, who in this way can show the lack of efficiency of his rival — Joe Biden. There is hope that a deal will be struck this week before the Senate goes into recess. Ukrainians, especially, are waiting for it.

After DeSantis’ Withdrawal, She Is the Only Alternative to Trump

Haley has received support from influential financial circles. After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ withdrawal, she is the only alternative to Trump in the Republican Party. When she said resigned her post as the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., there was a lot of talk of her presidential ambitions, yet she didn’t run in the 2020 election. Now, she has rejected the suggestion that she could become vice president alongside her recent protector. She says that Americans deserve more than a choice between two 80-year-olds who have problems remembering things.

Can Haley become U.S. president? American journalists liken her chance of successs to hitting a basket from halfway across the court. The New Hampshire primary, where she’s likely to land a good result,* will shed some light. One thing is sure: We will hear about her again. The next election is only four years away, when Haley will be 55 years old.

Jacek Czaputowicz, a professor at the University of Warsaw, was the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Polish government from 2018 to 2020..

*Editor’s Note: Donald Trump won the New Hampshire primary with 54.3% of the vote, with Nikki Haley winning 43.2%.