Rand Paul Launches ‘Never Nikki’ Website
On Friday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) launched a website to urge libertarians and conservatives not to vote for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) in the 2024 GOP primary.
Haley, the establishment pro-foreign intervention candidate, has faced strong opposition from “America First” Republicans and libertarians like Paul.
Paul announced the anti-Haley website, which he titled “Never Nikki,” in a series of posts on social media.
The Kentucky senator began the post thread X, formerly known as Twitter, by noting that he supports “various aspects of several candidates” in the Republican primary — citing former president and current GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
He also expressed support for some of the policy positions of independent candidates such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — but immediately clarified that looking at “the field, I don’t think I yet have a first choice.”
“I do know one thing: count me in as #NeverNikki!” Paul added, sharing a video explaining his opposition to Haley’s interventionist policies, her support for the military industrial complex and her belief that “you should be registered to use the internet.”
“Based on her record and campaign, I don’t see how any thoughtful or informed libertarian or conservative should vote for @NikkiHaley. If you agree, let your voice be heard,” he continued in another post.
Paul went on to list his concerns with Haley’s candidacy, including her alliance with “Biden and McConnell and the forever-war crowd on funding for the war in Ukraine.”
“Her thirst for war is so strong she actually said: ‘I’m sick of talking about a Department of Defense. I want a Department of Offense,’” he added.
“While most others were decrying the mistakes of the past 20 years, and fighting for an America First foreign policy, @NikkiHaley was aligning herself with and declaring her foreign policy allies to be John McCain and Lindsey Graham,” he wrote in another post.
Paul then pointed to Haley’s “lack of respect” for the First Amendment, noting that she “believes that all internet posters should be registered and verified. This flies in the face of a free American Republic whose founders wrote anonymously the Federalist Papers and routinely posted newspaper articles and pamphlets under Pseudonyms.”
He also cited her shocking domestic policy positions that do not align with conservative values, pointing out that in her home state of South Carolina, Haley “advocated for a gas tax hike, a state-run vaccine registry and never lifted a finger for school choice.”
Paul concluded his post thread by linking to the “Never Nikki” website and stating: “I am #NeverNikki and I hope you will be too.”
