Nikki Haley makes protection request as safety threats increase

Washington DC - Presidential candidate Nikki Haley has requested Secret Service protection as she has received an increased number of threats in recent weeks.

Nikki Haley has requested protection from the US Secret Service as her 2024 presidential campaign has received an increased number of threats.
Nikki Haley has requested protection from the US Secret Service as her 2024 presidential campaign has received an increased number of threats.  © Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

According to ABC News, a spokesperson and source close to the campaign confirmed the order, but did not elaborate on specific reasons for the request.

Last week, Haley expressed concerns about the safety of her campaign, but described it as "just as part of the game."

"Part of running for public life is that you're going to deal with the threats that are there," Haley explained to reporters. "That's not going to deter me. Does it mean we have to put a few more bodies around this? Yes, that's fine."

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A number of Haley's recent rallies have been interrupted by protesters, and during an event in Columbia, South Carolina last week, her personal security tackled a woman who had attempted to rush the stage.

Last month, Haley revealed that her South Carolina home was "swatted" back in December, and claimed responding officers drew their weapons on her elderly parents.

Fellow presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has requested and been denied protection three times now, wished Haley luck in her request, adding: "I sure hope they care about Nikki Haley's safety more than mine."

Is Donald Trump to blame for Nikki Haley's safety concerns?

Haley is the last remaining challenger to former President Donald Trump in the GOP primary race.

After her recent defeat in the New Hampshire primary, she vowed to stay in the running, arguing that it was "far from over."

Her persistence and criticisms have attracted the ire of Trump, who has consistently insulted and sometimes veered into racist dog-whistle politics.

On Tuesday, the two will face off again in the Nevada Republican primaries.

Cover photo: Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

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