NYT highlights Republican candidate Nikki Haley’s spouse
National Guard Major… Dispatch of troops to Djibouti, Africa
“A rock-like entity…a touchstone for every important issue.”
The New York Times (NYT) highlighted on the 4th (local time) that Michael Haley, the spouse of former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, a candidate for the US Republican presidential nomination, is ‘remotely studying abroad’ 13,000 km away.
According to the NYT, in most of her campaign speeches, former Governor Haley cited her husband, a major in the National Guard and currently serving in Djibouti, Africa, as one of her motivations for running.
Former Governor Haley has pledged to improve health care for veterans, citing her husband’s military experience, and has often said that her husband’s experience influenced her foreign policy.
On the 15th of last month, he declared defeat in the Iowa Caucus, the first Republican primary, and was the first to express his gratitude to Major Haley.
Former Governor Haley expressed her affection by saying, “I may be watching this scene right now, but I want to tell my husband, who is deployed, that I love him,” and “The reason I can continue to sleep at night is because we are sleeping under the same stars.”
Regarding this, the NYT commented, “For a politician known for his tough exterior, these were unusually personal and sugar-coated words,” and added, “But they were not awkward at all.”
An adopted child, Major Haley had a tumultuous childhood and career. His biological father was an alcoholic, and it is known that he lived in a house without electricity or running water during his childhood.
After his mother suffered a severe brain injury when he was 3, he was sent to a foster home with his two younger sisters, and the following year he was adopted by a steel mill manager and a teacher couple. She met former Governor Haley in college.
The marriage process was not smooth. Former Governor Haley’s parents opposed the marriage because they wanted her to meet a Sikh spouse, and they were finally able to become a couple after holding separate Sikh and Christian weddings in 1996, two years after her proposal.
Before voluntarily enlisting in the military, he worked for former Governor Haley’s parents and ran a business, and enlisted in the South Carolina National Guard at the age of 36 in 2006, when former Governor Haley was a first-term state representative.
Even after his wife was elected governor, he mainly focused on his family and even supported the deployment of troops to Afghanistan in 2012. He was in charge of agricultural education missions, but was reportedly exposed to roadside bombs during his deployment.
A reserve lieutenant colonel who served with him said, “We all knew who his spouse was, but he did not seek special treatment,” and added, “He is a soldier.”
He returned to South Carolina with former Governor Haley in 2018 after he finished serving as ambassador to the United Nations, and according to his financial disclosure, he runs a company that manages former Governor Haley’s finances. He is also known to own shares worth $500,000 in a defense company.
Despite his fame, Major Haley was rarely seen in public. While most spouses of primary candidates actively come out to the public and campaign for support, Major Michael does not give speeches or give interviews.
When asked about dispatching troops to Djibouti in an AP interview last June, he simply replied, “I can’t help but think it was worth it to dedicate a year to guaranteeing a free life for my family with my fellow soldiers, as many others did.”
However, former Governor Haley’s aides say that she has played the role of a ‘shadow help’ as a strong supporter of former Governor Haley. Rob Godfrey, a former spokesman for Governor Haley, explained, “Major Haley was a rock that Nikki could lean on, a touchstone on every important issue.”
He added that the decision to remove the Confederate flag from the state capitol grounds when a racist shooting occurred at a historic black church in South Carolina was also made in consultation with Major Haley.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.