Democrats Don’t Like Nikki Haley

At first glance, it’s reasonable to question the journalistic value of a story about Democrats reacting negatively toward Republican rhetoric — indeed, rhetoric designed to be consumed exclusively by Republican voters. This “dog bites man” element notwithstanding, the Washington Post went ahead and identified the ways in which Nikki Haley has “drawn criticism from those who say she is diminishing the bigotry and other barriers women and minorities — like herself — have experienced,” but only outside “GOP circles.”

Indeed, a fair portion of the piece is devoted to the downright suspect degree to which Republican audiences have responded warmly to Haley’s campaign trail flourishes. Her “predominantly white crowds” embrace Haley’s rejection of progressive orthodoxies on race and gender. Meanwhile, “the small number of people of color in attendance said they interpret her view of race as aspirational, not reality,” the Post observed.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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At first glance, it’s reasonable to question the journalistic value of a story about Democrats reacting negatively toward Republican rhetoric — indeed, rhetoric designed to be consumed exclusively by Republican voters. This “dog bites man” element notwithstanding, the Washington Post went ahead and identified the ways in which Nikki Haley has “drawn criticism from those who say she is diminishing the bigotry and other barriers women and minorities — like herself — have experienced,” but only outside “GOP circles.”

Indeed, a fair portion of the piece is devoted to the downright suspect degree to which Republican audiences have responded warmly to Haley’s campaign trail flourishes. Her “predominantly white crowds” embrace Haley’s rejection of progressive orthodoxies on race and gender. Meanwhile, “the small number of people of color in attendance said they interpret her view of race as aspirational, not reality,” the Post observed.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.