Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley announced on Tuesday that she would run for the US presidency, becoming the first major challenger to former president Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican ticket.
The Indian-American politician made the announcement in a video gone viral.
Ms Haley served as South Carolina’s governor from 2011 to 2017.
If elected, she would be the first female president and the first president of Indian descent.
In her short tenure as UN ambassador, Ms Haley is perhaps best known for pushing for stronger sanctions against North Korea and for being part of the US withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council.
“Nikki Haley is an ambitious politician so it is not surprising that she used the UN as a stage to pump herself up as a strong voice for American values. She had no intention of staying in the job longer than was politically expedient,” a former UN diplomat revealed.
Mr Trump did not publicly comment on Ms Haley’s announcement, but a Political Action Committee run by his allies derided her as a former “Never Trumper” who left the White House for financial gain.
“Now, she’s telling us she represents a ‘new generation.’ Sure just looks like more of the same, a career politician whose only fulfilled commitment is to herself,” said Taylor Budowich, head of Make America Great Again Inc.
Meanwhile, Mr Biden has said he intends to seek re-election in 2024.
