Nikki Haley announces 2024 bid for presidency

The former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley launched a presidential bid on Tuesday, the first major candidate to challenge former president Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination.

A day before her scheduled announcement speech in Charleston, South Carolina, on Wednesday, she tweeted: "I'm Nikki Haley and I'm running for president."

A video was also posted alongside the tweet.

"The Washington establishment has failed us over and over and over again. It's time for a new generation of leadership to rediscover fiscal responsibility, secure our border and strengthen our country, our pride and our purpose," Haley said in the video.

She criticized US President Joe Biden and the Democrats and said nothing directly about Trump.

In what appeared to be a reference to Trump, Haley said she will fight back against "bullies" at the end of the video.

"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," she said.

While a member of Trump's cabinet, Haley sought to be aligned with him but also more moderate. She left the Trump administration in 2018 on good terms with Trump.

Haley said two years ago that she would not challenge Trump for the White House.

During a visit to South Carolina last month, Trump, who announced his bid for reelection last year, told reporters that Haley had called to seek his opinion on running for president.

Earlier pledge

Trump pointed out her earlier pledge not to run against him, but said he made no attempt to stop her.

"She said she would never run against me because I was the greatest president, but people change their opinions, and they change what's in their hearts. So I said, 'If your heart wants to do it, you have to go do it.'"

Haley was first elected to the South Carolina House in 2004.Six years later she became the first woman elected as governor of the state and was the youngest governor in the nation when she took office in 2011. She resigned in the middle of her second term to become Trump's ambassador to the UN, a role she served until the end of 2018.

If successful, the 51-year-old daughter of Indian immigrants would be the first woman and the first Asian American nominated by the GOP for president.

Agencies contributed to this story.