MEG KINNARD

National politics reporter

Kinnard covers national politics for The Associated Press. She lives in South Carolina.
Republican presidential candidate former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley tells the audience the best birthday present they can give her is their vote on Tuesday while speaking at a Pizza and Politics event at Franklin Pierce University, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, in Rindge, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Nikki Haley questions Trump’s mental fitness after he appears to confuse her for Nancy Pelosi
Nikki Haley has questioned whether Donald Trump is mentally capable of serving as president again, after he repeatedly seemed to confuse her with former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a campaign speech.
 
Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a campaign event at The Hangout on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, in Myrtle Beach, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
DeSantis gets a warm welcome in South Carolina, but even some supporters think he can’t beat Trump
Ron DeSantis is campaigning in South Carolina, and he’s trying to frame his White House campaign as the one that can top GOP front-runner Donald Trump and Nikki Haley in pivotal South Carolina.
 
Republican presidential candidate former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley talks to students, parents and educators during a campaign stop at the Polaris Charter School, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Haley’s new New Hampshire ad features mother of US student who died after North Korean imprisonment
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is making part of her closing argument to New Hampshire before Tuesday’s primary with supportive words from the mother of Otto Warmbier, the American college student who died in 2017 after being imprisoned by North Korea.
 
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., speaks as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump listens at a campaign event in Concord, N.H., Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Tim Scott endorses Donald Trump ahead of New Hampshire Republican primary
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina has endorsed former President Donald Trump ahead of Tuesday’s New Hampshire GOP primary.
 
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, right, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, both speaking at the at the CNN Republican presidential debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Another Republican debate is canceled after Haley says she’ll only participate if Trump does, too
Another Republican presidential debate has been canceled after Nikki Haley’s refusal to participate in any forum that doesn’t include ex-President Donald Trump. CNN announced Wednesday its Sunday debate is off.
 
Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to supporters during a caucus night party, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in West Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Next Republican debate canceled after Nikki Haley says she’ll only participate if Donald Trump does
ABC News has canceled the next Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire after Nikki Haley said she won’t participate unless former President Donald Trump takes part in it. Haley’s comment Tuesday left Florida Gov.
 
FILE - Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan speaks at an annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition on Nov. 18, 2022, in Las Vegas. Hogan has endorsed Nikki Haley for the GOP nomination, saying on CNN on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, that the former South Carolina governor "is the strongest chance for us to put forth our best possible candidate for November." (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
Haley wins backing from ex-Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who won’t mount his own third-party 2024 bid
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has endorsed Nikki Haley for the GOP nomination. Hogan said on CNN on Sunday that the former South Carolina governor “is the strongest chance for us to put forth our best possible candidate for November.
 
Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, speak to members of the media outside his campaign office in Urbandale, Iowa, Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
DeSantis plans to go from Iowa to South Carolina, instead of New Hampshire, as he targets Haley
Ron DeSantis is taking his battle with Nikki Haley directly to her home state, planning to head straight to South Carolina, which holds the first GOP votes in the South, after Monday’s Iowa caucuses.
 
Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center, accompanied by his press secretary Bryan Griffin, right, departs after speaking at a Northside Conservatives Club Meeting at The District in Ankeny, Iowa, Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Iowa campaign events are falling as fast as the snow as the state readies for record-cold caucuses
Campaign events are falling as swiftly as the Iowa snow as wintry weather hampers Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump’s schedules ahead of Monday’s leadoff presidential caucuses.
 
Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley speaks to a crowd as part of her closing argument to Iowans ahead of Monday's GOP presidential caucuses on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
Haley’s frequent reference to new anti-DeSantis website falls flat with some supporters in Iowa
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is reviving some of the debate-stage critiques she leveled against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as she campaigns in Iowa with just days before the state’s leadoff caucuses.
 
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump greets supporters after he speaks at a Super Tuesday election night party, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Who’s running for president? See a rundown of the major 2024 candidates
Donald Trump is the last major Republican presidential candidate after former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s exit from the race. The former president dominated the early-state contests and romped through elections held on Super Tuesday.
 
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, right, looks at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, at the CNN Republican presidential debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Haley and DeSantis tear into each other’s records in a hostile head-to-head Republican debate
Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis attacked each other early and often in Wednesday’s primary debate rather than focus on Donald Trump, the absent front-runner.
 
FILE - This combination of photos shows Republican presidential candidates, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former South Carolina UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. The fifth Republican presidential debate of the 2024 election season will also be its first head-to-head matchup. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley are the only candidates taking part in Wednesday night’s debate in Iowa. (AP Photo, File)
DeSantis and Haley go head to head: How to watch the fifth Republican presidential debate
The fifth Republican presidential debate of the 2024 election season will also be its first head-to-head matchup. The debate kicks off Wednesday, 9 p.m.
 
Republican presidential candidate former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks during a Fox News Town Hall, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Haley accuses Biden of giving ‘offensive’ speech at the church where racist mass shooting occurred
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is taking aim at the Democrat she’d like to face in the November election.
 
Republican presidential candidate former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley greets voters at a town hall campaign event, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, in Rye, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Nikki Haley draws more attacks from Republican rivals after a televised town hall in Iowa
Nikki Haley’s rivals for the Republican presidential nomination are ratcheting up their attacks on her as Iowa’s first-in-the-nation voting draws closer.
 
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks during a town hall, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Nevada, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Nikki Haley doesn’t mention slavery when asked what caused the Civil War. She later walks that back
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is walking back an answer she gave to a voter about the reason for the Civil War that didn’t include a mention of slavery.
 
FILE - Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks during a town hall, Dec. 18, 2023, in Nevada, Iowa. Haley is betting her 2024 candidacy on winning South Carolina. But the politics of Haley's home state have shifted far to the right since she was governor. That threatens her ability to tap into her local roots to notch the victory she has promised.(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
Nikki Haley has bet her 2024 bid on South Carolina. But much of her home state leans toward Trump
Nikki Haley is betting her 2024 candidacy on winning South Carolina. But the politics of Haley’s home state have shifted far to the right since she was governor.
 
FILE - Christmas gifts are seen on the stage during a former President Donald Trump commit to caucus rally, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Waterloo, Iowa. The field of 2024 presidential candidates may have some options for shoppers scrambling for a last-minute holiday gift. As the campaign for the White House kicks into full gear, the contenders are offering an onslaught of holiday-themed merchandise, many of which capture some of the surreal aspects of the 2024 race. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
Need last-minute gifts? Presidential hopefuls offer ornaments, gift wrap — and Trump mug shot merch
Presidential campaigns are hoping that an onslaught of themed merchandise will keep their message out under the Christmas tree.
 
FILE - Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to supporters after filing President Joe Biden's paperwork to appear on South Carolina's 2024 Democratic presidential primary on Nov. 10, 2023, in Columbia, S.C. Harris is visiting Nevada and South Carolina next month, spending time in two of the earliest states on the Democratic presidential calendar with audiences she and President Joe Biden are most heavily courting in the primaries that kick off just a month later. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard, File)
Harris to kick off 2024 with stops in Nevada, South Carolina, home to some of Democrats’ first votes
Vice President Kamala Harris is visiting Nevada and South Carolina next month, two of the earliest states on the Democratic presidential calendar. There she’ll court voters she and President Joe Biden hope to win over.
 
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks during a town hall, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Nevada, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
A pro-Trump super PAC airs an anti-Haley ad in New Hampshire. She says that’s a sign of her strength
The super PAC supporting Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign has launched a television ad targeting Nikki Haley, a move her campaign called a signal that the GOP front-runner is seeking to blunt her rise, particularly in New Hampshire.
 
From left, Judge Elizabeth Gunn, and former first lady Melania Trump welcome newly-sworn American citizens as the National Archives holds a naturalization ceremony with 25 people from 25 nations, in Washington, Friday, Dec. 15, 2023. A naturalized citizen herself, Melania Trump, wife of former President Donald Trump, was originally from Slovenia. The event is part of the Archives' annual celebration of Bill of Rights Day. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
In a rare appearance, Melania Trump welcomes new citizens at a National Archives ceremony
Melania Trump has welcomed new U.S. citizens at a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives. It was a rare public appearance for the former first lady, who has largely stayed out of the spotlight as her husband, former President Donald Trump, runs for a second term.
 
Republican presidential candidate former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at a town hall campaign event, Tuesday, Dec.12, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Some 2024 GOP hopefuls call for ‘compassion’ in Texas abortion case but don’t say law should change
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have called for “compassion” in the case of a woman whose health deteriorated as she unsuccessfully sought an abortion in Texas, but they stopped short of criticizing the state’s law.
 
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley and Gov. Chris Sununu appear at a town hall campaign event, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. Haley received the New Hampshire governor's endorsement. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Haley gets endorsement from Gov. Chris Sununu ahead of pivotal New Hampshire primary
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has endorsed Nikki Haley for president. Sununu appeared with the Republican presidential candidate at a town hall in Manchester on Tuesday, six weeks before the state’s pivotal first-in-the-nation primary.
 
Republican presidential candidate former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy participate in a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by NewsNation on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, at the Moody Music Hall at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Two networks announce GOP presidential debates just days apart at same New Hampshire school
Two television networks have said they will hold separate Republican presidential debates at the same location in New Hampshire just ahead of that state’s GOP primary next month, but officials at Saint Anselm College said they were only aware of one of the events.
 
FILE - Republican presidential candidates from left, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, arrive on stage before a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by NBC News Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami. A two-hour Republican presidential primary debate will start at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 6, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
How to watch the fourth Republican presidential debate and what to look for
The number of candidates on stage is shrinking, but the fundamentals of Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate may be familiar to anyone who has watched the previous three meetings. The two-hour debate will start at 8 p.m.
 
Republican presidential candidates from left, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, participate in a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by NBC News Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Four Republicans will be on stage for the fourth presidential debate. Here’s who’s in and who’s out
Four candidates have qualified for the fourth Republican presidential debate. The Republican National Committee says Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov.
 
Republican presidential candidates Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie walk on stage after a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by NBC News, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Who’s running for president? See a rundown of the 2024 candidates
The 2024 Republican presidential primary field has narrowed. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum dropped out of the race on Monday. The remaining GOP candidates are former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov.
 
GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, in Bluffton, S.C. Haley is among a cluster of Republican candidates competing for second place in a GOP Republican primary thus far largely dominated by former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
Nikki Haley argues Donald Trump is always followed by ‘chaos’ before a large South Carolina crowd
Nikki Haley says former President Donald Trump causes too much chaos to be successful in a second White House term. She reiterated her argument about the GOP front-runner at a large town hall Monday in her home state of South Carolina.
 
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump gestures with South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster during halftime in an NCAA college football game between the University of South Carolina and Clemson Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Donald Trump draws cheers, some boos in Haley’s backyard at Clemson-South Carolina football game
Donald Trump used college football rivalry weekend to bask among his supporters in a state and region that are key to his presidential fortunes, while trying to upstage his Republican opponent Nikki Haley on her home turf at the Clemson-South Carolina football game.
 
Charleston, South Carolina, elects its first Republican mayor since Reconstruction Era
The historic South Carolina city of Charleston has elected its first Republican mayor since the Reconstruction Era.
 
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