June 26
After the situation in Russia, Nikki Haley accused President Biden and Vice President Harris of “being asleep at the switch.” She said the following:
“This weekend’s events show that the Russian leadership is in a weaker position than the Ukrainian leadership. The United States and our allies should use this moment to send Ukraine the vital supplies and equipment it needs to reclaim its land and end the war. If co-Presidents Biden and Harris weren’t asleep at the switch, we could be sending a real message not just to Russia, but to the dictators in China and Iran as well.”
Haley wrote a piece for the Wall Street Journal, detailing her plans to deal with China.
June 27
Haley spoke at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) today. A replay can be found here. The main focus was, once again, foreign policy, as the name of the event was “New China Playbook.” Haley discussed things like protecting Taiwan from Chinese aggression and stopping exporting sensitive technology.
June 28
Haley spoke at a Polaris National Security event whilst in New Hampshire. We heard similar themes as we did in her AEI speech.
June 29
Haley attended a cookout hosted by the New Hampshire Republicans.
She celebrated the latest Supreme Court decision that struck down affirmative action in college decisions. This case, Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard saw a 6-2 ruling against one of America’s most elite universities. The case was brought by a legal group, mainly representing Asian-Americans, who are angered by race playing a factor in rejecting or accepting applicants. A companion case, Students for Fair Admissions v University of North Carolina, was decided 6-3. Ketanji Brown Jackson, the newest Associate Justice, recused herself from the Harvard case as she is on the Board of Overseers.
Haley had this to say on the subject:
“Picking winners and losers based on race is fundamentally wrong. This decision will help every student- no matter the background- have a better opportunity to achieve the American Dream.”
The result was divisive, once again generally on party lines.
- President Biden: “I strongly, strongly disagree with the Court’s decision […] Across the board, the vast majority of American people don’t agree with a lot of the decisions this court has made.”
- Senator Elizabeth Warren: “An extremist Supreme Court has once again reversed decades of settled law, rolled back the march toward racial justice, and narrowed educational opportunity for all. I won’t stop fighting for young people with big dreams who deserve an equal chance to pursue their future.”
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries: “Right-wing ideologues on the Supreme Court gutted reproductive freedom last year. The very same extremists just obliterated consideration of racial diversity in college admissions. They clearly want to turn back the clock. We will NEVER let that happen.”
- Senator Marco Rubio: “Today’s decision from the Supreme Court is the right one: students should be judged on their merits, not the color of their skin.”
- Former President Donald Trump: “This is a great day for America. People with extraordinary ability and everything else necessary for success, including future greatness for our Country, are finally being rewarded. This is the ruling everyone was waiting and hoping for and the result was amazing. It will also keep us competitive with the rest of the world.”
- Representative Young Kim: “All students should be able to achieve their American dream. Race-based education policies divide our nation, undermine global competitiveness, and prevent students from reaching their full potential. These out-of-touch policies make the American dream out of reach. We should not hold students back and send a dangerous message that one’s race and background matters more than one’s merits and character. Today’s decision is a huge victory for students of all backgrounds. I respect the Supreme Court’s decision as always and hope higher education institutions do the same.”
Polling had Haley at 3.9%.
June 30
Nikki Haley spoke at a Moms4Liberty event. The event’s focus was on parental rights. As discussed in a previous diary entry, parental rights in education is something the GOP is putting extra emphasis on. Haley said the following:
“We need full transparency in the classroom. As moms, we have one job: Give our kids an education and give them the freedom to be who they want to be. No reason school bureaucrats should hide from us what they say to our kids. Yes to school choice. Out with Chinese infiltration at our universities.”
A press release emphasised Haley being the only mom in the race.
Haley also supported two of the newest Supreme Court decisions. 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis concerned a Christian graphic designer named Lorie Smith who did not want to work with same-sex couples who wished to marry. Whilst Smith posted a notice on her website to explain and direct those customers to other services, she found that this was illegal. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Ms. Smith’s favour.
The other was Biden v. Nebraska. In another 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students (HEROES) Act does not allow the government to forgive federal student debt.
Haley’s reaction:
“This was a fantastic win for individual liberty and freedom. The Democrats are upset because things didn’t go their way, but the people won. This is about empowering people and their rights. Whether it is making sure you’re not picking winners and losers on whose loans you forgive or who gets into college on race that you can’t control…”
July 1-2
Quiet days for Haley.
Both domestic and foreign policy took equal footing in Haley’s campaigning this weekend. She celebrated the conservative victories in the Supreme Court this week and pushed for parental involvement in education. Haley also pushed back against China.
Her polling remains at the same level. The fact that it’s not dropped is good, but it’d be even better if it went up.