Nikki Haley is embarking on a trailblazing bid as she seeks the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. However, GOP voters may not be receptive to accusations of sexism in political attacks. A New Hampshire GOP committee member said some party members want to “put women back in the 1960s.” Something is loading.
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On the same day that South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley launched her campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, she rejected the idea of ”identity politics” and embarked on a historic course to potentially serve flag bearer for his party.
“I don’t believe it,” Haley said of the aforementioned term while campaigning in Charleston, South Carolina, on Wednesday. “And I don’t believe in glass ceilings either. I believe in creating a country where anyone can do anything.”
Haley joins former President Donald Trump as the two leading candidates currently in the GOP arena, with the ex-president already attacking her record, despite serving in his administration as an ambassador to the United Nations.
But for many Republicans, Haley will have to prove her mettle against Trump, and the idea that a political attack could be seen as sexist may not be tolerated by many grassroots voters, according to several strategists who spoke with the New York. Times.
In an early candidate state, Republicans are already seeing action on the ground among candidates, both declared and undecided.
Juliana Bergeron, a member of the Republican National Committee in New Hampshire, told the newspaper that she considered Haley a “credible” candidate, but had caveats for women navigating the dynamics of Republican politics.
“There are people in our party who want to bring women back to the 1960s, and so I think that makes it a bit more difficult for women in our party,” she said. “And I wish I didn’t have to say it, but that’s how I feel.”
While GOP voters have backed gubernatorial candidates over the years, including Haley and current figures like Govs. Kristi Noem of South Dakota and Kim Reynolds of Iowa, only a few Republican women have run for president.
If Haley were to win the GOP presidential nomination, she would be the first woman in party history to do so.
In 2015, then-GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, was seen by many observers as a candidate likely to draw support from mainstream conservatives and people-oriented Republicans. business.
However, Trump launched a series of attacks on Fiorina, including during an interview with Rolling Stone. “Look at that face!” he said at the time. “Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?”
“I mean, she’s a woman, and I’m not supposed to say bad things, but really people, come on. Are we serious?” he added.
Trump said in a later appearance on Fox News that he was talking about Fiorina’s ‘personality’ and not her appearance, but the interview fueled a national debate over sexism as Fiorina sought to focus on the merits of his campaign.
She eventually left the race in February 2016 and was tapped by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas to serve as his vice presidential running mate in April, but Trump edged out Cruz to win the GOP nomination that year.
Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.