Nikki Haley, ex-Trump rival, in GOP convention spotlight.

Nikki Haley Takes Center Stage at the Republican National Convention

Following the formal nomination of Donald Trump as the GOP’s 2024 presidential nominee and the announcement of Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate, Nikki Haley, Trump’s final rival during the presidential primaries, has emerged into the spotlight at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Initially, Haley was not invited to speak at the convention and had no plans to attend the four-day event in Wisconsin. However, after the harrowing assassination attempt on Trump during a rally in western Pennsylvania, where Trump was injured and a spectator was killed, the GOP rallied around Trump and extended an invitation to Haley to speak at the convention as a show of unity.

Haley entered the presidential race in February last year, challenging Trump and engaging in a fierce battle with the former president from the New Hampshire primary in January through Super Tuesday in March.

Ultimately, Haley announced the suspension of her campaign on March 6, the day after Trump secured victories in 14 out of 15 GOP nominating contests on Super Tuesday. Despite leaving the race, Haley vowed to continue speaking out and maintained a significant portion of the Republican vote in subsequent primaries.

In late May, Haley publicly declared her support for Trump, releasing all of her delegates from the Republican primaries and encouraging them to throw their support behind Trump.

Having won a total of 97 delegates during the primaries, Haley’s influence remained strong within the Republican Party even after bowing out of the presidential race.

Reflecting on her decision to suspend her campaign, Trump pointed out another former rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who dropped out of the race just days before the New Hampshire primary, indicating that Haley should have followed suit earlier.

As Nikki Haley steps onto the stage at the Republican National Convention, her presence marks a significant moment in the party’s journey towards unity and the looming 2024 presidential election.