Nikki Haley was barely known outside her native South Carolina before Donald Trump tapped her as ambassador to the United Nations back in 2017.
But Haley used the high-profile post to cultivate an image as a plain-speaking conservative, and a reputation for standing up to her boss — whom she is now challenging for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Republicans with ambitions for the highest American office have been keeping their powder dry until now, wary of getting a bloody nose from the man who wrote the book on no-holds-barred political brawling.
Haley, 51, appears to be made of sterner stuff, releasing a campaign launch video Tuesday in which she did not mention the 76-year-old Trump by name but said it is “time for a new generation of leadership.
