The woman who rivaled Trump: Who is Nikki Haley?

At the age of 24, she abandoned the Sikh religion and embraced Christianity: For a time, she was the Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations (UN). Nikki Haley became the favorite of those looking for a reliable presidential candidate alternative to Trump.

By Jane Dickens Published on 19 Ocak 2024 : 22:41.
The woman who rivaled Trump: Who is Nikki Haley?

Haley, who also serves as Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, does not yet appear ahead in any opinion polls. However, she appears to have risen steadily in national polls, reaching a distant second place.

Former US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said that she would not run for president against Donald Trump in 2021, but this statement is a thing of the past.

Haley was born to Indian parents.

Who is this Haley?

Haley was born in South Carolina in 1972 to two Indian immigrants and went through many transformations on a personal level before her political rise.

In addition to starting her business life as an accountant, changing her Indian name Nimrata Randhawa abandoning the Sikh religion, and embracing Christianity at the age of 24 are among these transformations.

Her roots play an important role in the formation of her personal and political identity. As a member of an immigrant family, she emphasizes the importance of embracing one's cultural heritage and background while preserving American values.

Nimarata Nikki Haley (born January 20, 1972) is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 116th governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, and as the 29th United States ambassador to the United Nations for two years, from January 2017 through December 2018. A member of the Republican Party, Haley is the first Indian American to serve in a presidential cabinet.

Haley is known for her conservative views and commitment to public service. This commitment to public service was embodied when she served as governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, before being appointed her country's ambassador to the UN until 2018.

One of the biggest challenges she faced during her time in public service was the shooting at the Charleston Church in the second largest city in the state of South Carolina.

Haley was praised for her handling of the situation and her efforts to keep the state together after this attack that killed 9 people in 2015.

As her country's ambassador to the UN, she presented himself to the international community with the image of a solid and sincere diplomat.

She became known for her support for Israel and her criticism of the UN's handling of human rights cases in countries such as North Korea and Iran.

Haley was also one of the most critical of the Confederate flag; She played an instrumental role in removing it from the Capitol Building in South Carolina in 2015 due to its racist connotations.

Haley is also considered a strong advocate for tax reform, education, and economic development.

Details of life story

Nikki Halley's family is an immigrant from India. Her father is Ajit Singh Randhawa and her mother is Raj Kaur Randhawa. The father of the Randhawa couple, Ajit Singh Randhawa, who immigrated to America from the city of Amritsar in the Punjab province adjacent to India's border with Pakistan, was a professor at the Punjab Agricultural University; Mother Raj Kaur Randhawa received her law degree from Delhi University.

Before the United States, Nikki Haley's father immigrated to Canada, where she received a scholarship offer from the University of British Columbia. The Randhawa family first immigrated to the United States in 1969, when her father Randhawa moved her family to South Carolina after receiving her doctorate. Baba Randhawa started working as a professor at Voorhees College here. Her mother, Raj Rawa, continued her master's degree at Bamberg public schools for seven years before establishing a clothing store called "Exotica International" in 1976.

Nimrata, who graduated from Clemson University with a degree in accounting, started her first business experience by accounting for the fashion-textile company called "Exotica International", founded by her mother.

In 1996, at the age of 24, Nimrata married Michael Haley, a Lieutenant in the US Army, and took the surname Haley with this marriage. The couple had two children, Rena and Nalin, from this marriage. The rise accelerated from this point on for Nikki Haley, who was also elected to the board of directors of the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce in 1998 while working at her mother's company. She became treasurer of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce.

She served in the National Association of Women Business Owners until 2003. She chaired the Lexington Gala to raise funds for a local hospital in 2003 and 2004, the year of the presidential election.

she carried out. In the following period, she served at the Lexington Medical Foundation, Lexington County Sheriff's Foundation, and West Metro Republican Women. She was the South Carolina president of the National Association of Women Business Owners and chair of the 2006 Friends of Leadership Chapter campaign.

Nikki Haley, who became a member of the Republican Party in 2004, served as a member of the House of Representatives in the state of South Carolina. She again became the first female governor of the state of South Carolina. She is recorded as the second Indian American to serve as governor of the United States, after Republican Bobby Jindal.

In June 2011, she signed an “Arizona-style” law to combat illegal immigration. The law signed by Nikki Halley remains the subject of a lawsuit brought by the United States Department of Justice on various grounds, alleging that it violates the “Supremacy Clause” of immigration law.

On November 23, 2016, Donald Trump nominated Nikki Haley for the position of US Ambassador to the UN. This proposal was accepted by the Senate with a vote of 96 to 4, and she was elected as the US Representative to the United Nations on January 24, 2017.

Haley, who started her position on January 25, 2017, was listed among the "100 Most Influential People". Of course, Israel was behind this rise. Haley rose as she expressed her commitment to Israeli values at every step; As she rose higher, this commitment was strengthened. Many of the positions she received were awarded by Jewish organizations. Those who tell Haley's story say she was more tough than a traditional white American.