Nikki Haley’s admirers say they can draw a perfectly straight line from Ronald Reagan’s governing agenda — one of limited government at home and a robust American presence abroad — to the political worldview she articulates today.
They worry it’s part of the reason her presidential campaign is faltering so badly.
Leading conservatives say they are deeply concerned about the popularity and future of Reagan-style conservatism, citing Haley’s struggles against former President Donald Trump and his “America First” agenda of protectionist economics and aversion to international intervention. The former South Carolina governor — who polls indicate is headed for another defeat to Trump on Saturday in her home state’s primary — has failed to make much of a dent in the former president’s support despite repeatedly and forcefully embracing ideas, like fighting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or opposing trade tariffs, that were once central to the party’s ideology.