Hecklers Chant 'We Love Trump!' After GOP Presidential Hopeful Nikki Haley's CPAC Speech

When former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley announced in February that she would challenge Donald Trump for the Republican nomination in the 2024 election campaign, the ex-president welcomed her decision, saying, “the more the merrier," and that she should "not be bound" by her previous promises not to run against him.

Nikki Haley, 51, plastered a smile on her face and took selfies with supporters after her Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) speech on Friday, but there was no ignoring the jeers and chants of “We love Trump.”

Twitter screenshot of post by national politics reporter Christian Hall, showing footage from Conservative Political Action Conference event attended by Nikki Haley.

© Photo : Twitter

Supporters of the ex-president thronged the hall of Trump’s stomping grounds as the former South Carolina Governor wrapped up her speech. Delivered to what appeared to be a far from packed audience of conservatives, judging by footage posted on social media, the Republican presidential candidate’s words were given a warm-enough welcome, as she aimed to pitch herself to the CPAC crowd as the face of a “new generation.”

Twitter screenshot showing footage from Conservative Political Action Conference event attended by Nikki Haley.

© Photo : Twitter

Twitter screenshot.

© Photo : Twitter

Haley’s speech was peppered with jabs at 80-year-old President Joe Biden, as she urged a mental competency test for all politicians over 75 years old. Incidentally, this would potentially also apply to 76-year-old Donald Trump. She also weighed in on the fact that Republicans had ceded the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections, saying:

“Our cause is right, but we have failed to win the confidence of a majority of Americans. That ends now. If you’re tired of losing, put your trust in a new generation.”

She pledged to “renew an America that’s strong and proud – not weak and woke.”

Haley juggled the terms, “woman,” “minority,” and “immigrant” as part of her pitch to the crowd, finally eliciting some loud applause when she described herself as the “first minority female governor in history,” and exclaimed that, “America is not a racist country!”

“In case you didn’t notice, the liberal media’s heads are exploding about my run for president. We all know why. The media can’t stand that I’m a conservative. Think about it… I’m a woman – a minority – and the daughter of immigrants. I am proof that liberals are wrong about everything they say about America.”

The ex-UN ambassador under Trump announced her 2024 presidential bid on February 14, and is regarded as a major competitor to challenge the 45th POTUS for the Republican nomination. Nikki Haley has already laid out some of her key campaign points. Among them are that US businesses must hire Americans and not illegal immigrants, implement term limits for Congress, require mandatory mental competency tests for US politicians over 75 years old, increase domestic energy production, etc. However, ever since she tossed the proverbial hat in the ring, Haley has trodden carefully, avoiding any mention of Trump by name. In a recent interview on the podcast "Honestly," she pledged to support him if he secured the GOP nomination.

Meanwhile, a late February survey by a US media outlet indicated that more than 40% of respondents would support the candidacy of Donald Trump in the 2024 GOP primaries, aimed at determining the Republicans' presidential candidate. Trump is followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who was backed by 28% of potential voters and has yet to announce a potential presidential bid. Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence got 7% each, while Texas Governor Greg Abbott and House Republican Liz Cheney stood at 2% each.