Haley tells dealers she could be leader America needs

Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador expected to run for president next year, declined to announce her candidacy Friday but said she feels she could be the type of leader America needs.

“Whether it’s transforming South Carolina from double-digit unemployment to the beast of the Southeast and the leadership there, to defending America on the world stage ... yes, I could be that person and I know I could do it,” Haley said during an interview with 2022 NADA Chairman Mike Alford. “I’ve never lost a race and I’m not going to start now.”

Whether or not Haley runs, she said the Republican Party must move past the chaos and internal division that led to “disappointing” midterm election results and reach out to a more diverse subset of Americans.

“We need to start bringing in as many people as we can,” Haley said. “Our solutions lift up everyone. We have to communicate it that way.”

Haley touched on a number of topics, including foreign policy issues and her efforts to boost small businesses while bringing more transparency to South Carolina’s government.

To help court industries to the state, she said she worked directly with CEOs and tried to show them the benefits of jobs they would provide to local communities.

“Results solve all things,” she said. “Transparency brings trust to the system. You have to make sure people see a better way forward.”

Speaking to dealers, Haley praised their efforts during the coronavirus pandemic to keep their staffs and local communities safe.

“You look at auto dealers, and they're survivors,” she said. “I have great appreciation for that.”