Deployed to Djibouti, Maj. Michael Haley has been absent from the ebbs and flows of his wife’s quest for the White House, stationed far from the political arena. However, even from thousands of miles away, he remains a significant presence in Nikki Haley’s campaign.
When Nikki Haley gracefully conceded her third-place defeat in the Iowa caucuses, she directed her first expression of gratitude to her husband, who is currently deployed.
In a poignant moment, she declared, “I want to say to my husband, who is deployed, who I know may or may not be watching this right now — Michael, I love you.” Against the backdrop of American flags, she continued, “What keeps me going at night is that we sleep under the same stars.”
Nikki Haley (Credits: Asharq Al-Awsat)
This personal and emotionally charged sentiment may seem unusual for a politician known for her steely exterior, but it seamlessly aligns with the narrative Nikki Haley weaves.
Even in his absence, Maj. Michael Haley, a National Guardsman serving a voluntary year-long deployment in Africa, holds a significant role in his wife’s increasingly solitary endeavor to secure the Republican nomination from former President Donald J. Trump.
Throughout her campaign, Nikki Haley consistently intertwines her husband’s military career into her message. His struggles upon returning from a war zone become a focal point in her pledges to enhance healthcare for veterans. She implies that his experiences inform her approach to foreign policy.
Despite this visible role, Major Haley himself remains somewhat enigmatic. While spouses of other candidates crisscrossed Iowa and New Hampshire, humanizing their partners, he has managed to sidestep the intense scrutiny, public speaking, photo opportunities, and interviews that typically accompany a political campaign—except for being stationed in Djibouti, his role remains a quiet one.
