Nikki Haley, the first Republican to mount a formal challenge to Donald Trump for the presidential nomination, fashioned a foreign policy and aid doctrine that can be summed up in this simple catchphrase: You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.
Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, officially announced her plans to challenge her former boss in a video promotion, highlighting her Indian-American roots in South Carolina, where she served as governor, and her record as tough-talking U.S. envoy to the U.N.
“Some people look at America and see vulnerability,” she said in the video. “China and Russia are on the march. They all think we can be bullied. Kicked around. You should know this about me: I don’t put up with bullies. And when you kick back, it hurts them more if you’re wearing heels.”
About the author
Colum Lynch
Colum Lynch is an award-winning reporter and Senior Global Reporter for Devex. He covers the intersection of development, diplomacy, and humanitarian relief at the United Nations and beyond. Prior to Devex, Colum reported on foreign policy and national security for Foreign Policy Magazine and the Washington Post. Colum was awarded the 2011 National Magazine Award for digital reporting for his blog Turtle Bay. He has also won an award for groundbreaking reporting on the U.N.’s failure to protect civilians in Darfur.
