Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is expected to get closer to launching a presidential bid this week, according to three sources familiar with the launch, setting the stage for a mid-February announcement that would make her former president Donald Trump the first primary opponent of the Republican Party. by 2024.
Haley, who served as UN ambassador for two years in the Trump administration, will invite her supporters to a special event on February 15 in South Carolina, two of the sources said, noting that the invitation could go out as soon as Wednesday.
The Charleston Post and Courier Service first reported Haley’s plans.
Haley teased a potential presidential run this month, saying in an interview on Fox News: “Yes, we need to go in a new direction. And can I be that leader? Yes, I think I can be that leader.”
Trump, who announced a third presidential bid in November, kicked off his campaign with stops in New Hampshire and Haley’s home state of South Carolina over the weekend.
Since leaving the Trump administration, Haley has occasionally criticized Trump but frequently praised him. Before joining the administration, she was the Governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017 and was a member of the state House of Representatives.
rebecca shabad contributed.
