Nikki Haley Makes Appeal to MAGA Crowd at CPAC

Nikki Haley, who declared her run for 2024 GOP presidential nominating office last month, addressed the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, (CPAC) on March 3, which has been a platform for Make America Great Again (MAGA), a movement that was founded by former President Donald Trump. Haley served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and is now running again.

According to an analysis, six out of ten Republicans identify more strongly with the party than Trump. NBC News poll December release. The MAGA coalition of GOP members is still a significant majority and Trump has been able to take advantage of it recently. leads According to numerous polls. Haley, a conservative who has praised and criticised Trump’s populist views, needed to appeal to the MAGA constituent.

And she was back swinging.

Haley served the crowd red meat during her speech.

“In case you didn’t notice, the liberal media’s heads are exploding about my run for president. And we all know why,” She spoke. “The media can’t stand the fact that I’m a conservative.

“This is how it should be. You’ll see that I’m a woman and a minority. And I’m also the daughter of immigrants. I’m proof that liberals don’t know anything about America.”

Referring to old guard politicians as “This crowd” she went after President Joe Biden’s age, which is 80. Haley reiterated her call for politicians over the age of 75 to take mental competency tests. She called out Biden by name but did not do the same toward Trump in what appeared to be a pivot toward making age an issue when it comes to Democrats but not the 76-year-old former president.

“My campaign was launched because I believed that every politician over 75 should have to pass a mental competency exam.” she said. “Are you a DC resident?”

Then, it was back to going after the media, namely CNN co-anchor Don Lemon.

“Now Don Lemon … he claimed I’m not in the prime of my life.”

To anyone who thinks that, I say “Hold on,” she said, eliciting laughter and applause.

“I’m 51. This is younger than Don Lemon. It’s also older than Hunter Biden. Joe Biden is 30 years younger.”

Lemon is 57 and Hunter Biden is 53.

“Don disagrees. To be considered prime, women must be in their 20s or 30-s.” Haley said. “The left disagrees we’re sexist?”

Returning to her pledge of having mental competency tests, she expanded the requirement to judges and, in an apparent reference to herself, said she wouldn’t even mind if the age requirement were lowered to 50.

Throughout her speech, Haley, the daughter of immigrants, touched upon socialism and countering wokeism, and the notion that America is a racist nation. She also mentioned other issues of interest to MAGA supporters including combating China and illegal immigration, standing with law enforcement, and protecting the integrity of U.S. elections.

Haley announced she would not allow U.S. taxpayer money to go to universities that receive money from China.

She was careful, however, not to alienate key constituencies such as suburbanites, who have increasingly voted Democrat in recent years, and she touched upon issues that are not front and center in the MAGA movement including the $31 trillion, and growing, national debt and earmarks.

She confronted the isolationism in that GOP branch by saying, “A strong military does not start wars. A strong military is a deterrent to wars.”

All in all, Haley got a positive reception. There was no wild cheering, but neither was there widespread booing, according to someone in the audience. Following her speech, a cluster of people, including young women, wanted to have their pictures taken with the candidate. Haley obliged them by coming off the stage.

Whether Haley’s words to the MAGA crowd make a difference is to be determined. But her mission—going to CPAC and then the Trump-critical Club for Growth’s donor retreat is clear: Make her coalition as broad as possible so she can win the Republican nomination and send Biden packing.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.