Nikki Haley asks for Secret Service protection after surge in threats
By Carl Samson
February 6, 2024
Nikki Haley is requesting Secret Service protection as threats against her escalate in number, according to reports.
Driving the news: Haley’s campaign did not disclose specific threats, but a spokesperson confirmed Monday that they have increased, according to the New York Times. Aside from disruptions in her campaign events, the Indian American candidate has been the target of two swatting attempts in her South Carolina home on Dec. 30 and Jan. 1.
In the December incident, officers reportedly arrived with guns drawn. “It put the law enforcement officers in danger, it put my family in danger and, you know, it was not a safe situation,” Haley told NBC News last week.
What she’s saying: Despite such threats, Haley remains undeterred and has moved to beef up security measures around her campaign. “It’s not going to stop me from doing what I need to do,” she said after an event in South Carolina, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported her Secret Service request.
About the Secret Service: The Secret Service, which can provide protection to major candidates in general and primary elections, is authorized by the Secretary of Homeland Security in consultation with the Congressional Advisory Committee — a five-member body that includes the top Democrat and Republican in the Senate and House of Representatives — according to Reuters. As of press time, the Department of Homeland Security has not commented on Haley’s request.
In the meantime: Haley, the only candidate left standing between frontrunner Donald Trump and the GOP nomination, is the sole name listed in today’s Republican primary in Nevada. Due to a conflict with the state government, the Nevada GOP will hold a separate caucus without her name later this week, resulting in two Republican contests in the state and a potential victory for both candidates.
Joe Biden, meanwhile, is projected to win the Democratic primary in Nevada. The incumbent president secured a landslide victory in South Carolina this weekend.
What’s next: Haley has set her eyes on her home state of South Carolina, which will hold its GOP primary on Feb. 24. As of this writing, Trump leads the state by around 32 points, according to polls analyst FiveThirtyEight.
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