Nikki Haley has seen her bid to become the GOP nominee for the 2024 presidential election already cast into doubt because of Governor Ron DeSantis. The former Trump Ambassador to the UN launched her campaign on Tuesday, insisting the Republican Party is in need of “a new generation of leadership.” But strategist Gunner Ramer told Express.co.uk the former South Carolina Governor could face a steep race to the top as she is already “not coming through as strongly” as DeSantis despite him not being a candidate at the moment.
Asked whether Haley could emerge as a potential unity candidate for the GOP, Ramer said: “What I can tell you is that her name doesn’t come up as someone as Ron DeSantis’s name comes up.
“But you do have some people going, ‘yeah, I do like Nikki Haley. I think she’s good. I like the way she governed South Carolina.’
“Or ‘I like she served in the Trump administration.’ You don’t have all the groups talking about her like they do talking about Ron DeSantis but she comes up from time to time.”
Ramer told Express.co.uk Haley is not emerging as an immediate option to lead the GOP to the 2024 presidential election in focus groups.
JUST IN: US fighter pilot yells after spotting mystery UFO: ‘Wow, what’s that?’
He noted Governor DeSantis, who has taken a leading role in the post-Trump era of the Republican Party with his conservative, pro-family state policies, has already become a favourite among voters despite not declaring his intentions.
The Longwell Partners Political Director continued: “The thing with Ron DeSantis is…he comes up organically, with more intensity of feeling.
“When you ask about, ‘hey, what other Republicans do you like?’ And you mention Mike Pence, they’re ‘no’ – some in the group might like him but oftentimes parts of the group don’t like him.
“And then you bring up Nikki Haley and there isn’t a lot of negativity attached to her. People are like, ‘oh, yeah, I do like Nikki Haley.’ But she’s not coming through as strongly.”
READ MORE: Cancer warning after train derails with dangerous gas
She said: “The America I see will win the fight for the 21st Century.
“We’ll have the courage and confidence to defend our values and defeat our enemies.
“In this America, the Armed Forces of the United States will be stronger and more capable than ever. A strong military doesn’t start wars. A strong military prevents wars!
“In this America, we’ll start pumping more oil and gas – and stop buying dirty oil from Venezuela. We’ll stand with our allies – from Israel to Ukraine – and stand up to our enemies – in Iran and Russia.
“And in the America I see, Communist China won’t just lose… like the Soviet Union before it, Communist China will end up on the ash heap of history!”
Haley added: “Realising this vision won’t be easy. It will take an unparalleled level of commitment from all of us.
“It requires faith and a willingness to move past the status quo. And it will require doing some things we’ve never done…like sending a tough-as-nails woman to the White House.”
Follow our social media accounts here on facebook.com/ExpressUSNews
