When a handful of potential Republican presidential hopefuls convene on Thursday for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), there will be one notable absence from the speaking lineup: Nikki Haley.
Haley, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a potential 2024 White House contender, has found herself isolated from former President Trump and the populist wing of the GOP that he commands after a scathing interview with Politico in which she denounced her former boss and wrote off his future influence in Republican politics.
The fallout from Haley’s remarks underscores the risks associated with her strategy of criticizing Trump’s actions and establishing a separate political identity while at the same time trying to appeal to his base of supporters.
One GOP source told The Hill that Haley has been positioning herself for a presidential campaign since she left the Trump administration in 2018, but that she lacks a clear lane in the coming Republican primary and is struggling to figure out how to connect with GOP voters under Trump.
Her career and future are over and done. Self-inflicted. Not a big loss.