Nikki Haley Joining Washington Think Tank

WASHINGTON — Former South Carolina governor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is joining a conservative think tank in Washington, a position likely to further boost her national profile should she decide to run again for president in the future.

She is joining the Hudson Institute, headquartered on Pennsylvania Avenue, mere blocks from the White House, where she will become the Walter P. Stern chair at the institute.

“When our policymakers fail to call out our enemies or acknowledge the importance of our alliances, the world is less safe,” Haley said in a statement posted to the X social media platform.

“That is why Hudson’s work is so critical,” she said. “They believe the American people should have the facts and policymakers should have the solutions to support a secure, free and prosperous future. I look forward to partnering with them to defend the principles that make America the greatest country in the world.”

Founded in 1961 in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, by physicist Herman Kahn and his colleagues at the RAND Corporation, the Hudson Institute initially focused its considerable energies on military matters and the potential for nuclear war.

In fact, Kahn spoke so often on the matter that it was said he at least partly inspired Stanley Kubrck’s 1964 movie “Dr. Strangelove.”

Over time, however, the Institute and its mission grew, branching out into such areas as economics, health and education.

Haley herself had been mum about her future since pulling the plug on her primary challenge to former President Donald Trump in the wake of the Super Tuesday primary contests.

Just last week she sent a lengthy email to supporters of her presidential campaign that featured many photographs from her primary run and encouraged them to “please stay tuned for more updates in the weeks and months ahead.”

Indeed, much of the email sounded like a rallying of the troops rather than a goodbye.

“I want to take a moment to reach out and thank you for everything you did to help fuel our campaign and build our movement,” Haley wrote. “What we accomplished was nothing short of incredible. We couldn’t have done this without you.

She continued: “Whether you joined my team on day one, or you joined during the last few weeks of the campaign — I am forever grateful for your encouragement and support. 

“Thank you for everything you’ve done,” she added. “Together we accomplished something very special in our country. We gave people a reason to vote for a vision of what our country could be. I’m truly grateful.”

The chair Haley is assuming is named for Walter P. Stern, a Wall Street executive who was an early proponent of investing in international companies. 

Before he died at the age of 93 in 2022, Stern was chairman emeritus of Hudson Institute and vice president of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 

“Through his leadership, Wally served as Hudson Institute’s ‘North Star,’ guiding the organization through the administrations of 10 U.S. presidents and three interstate headquarter moves from New York to Indianapolis and now, Washington, D.C.,” the Institute said on its website.

“As a result of his guidance and support, Hudson has become one of the world’s most respected policy organizations, dedicated to promoting American leadership for a secure, free and prosperous future,” it continued.

Among the Institute’s best known members are former Vice President Dan Quayle, former Attorney General William Barr, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was also a long-time member, serving up to his death in November, 2023. 

Haley herself is no stranger to the organization — she received its Global Leadership Award in 2018.

In announcing Haley’s joining the think tank, Hudson Institute president and CEO John P. Walters called her “a proven and effective leader on both foreign and domestic policy.”

“In an era of worldwide political upheaval, she has remained a steadfast defender of freedom and an effective advocate for American security and prosperity. We are honored to have her join the Hudson team,” Walters said.

“It is fitting that Nikki has taken on this title,” Sarah May Stern, chair of Hudson’s Board of Trustees and daughter of Walter Stern, said of the former governor and UN ambassador taking on the position named for her late father.

“She is a courageous and insightful policymaker and these qualities are vital in making Hudson the powerhouse policy organization it is today, and I am extremely proud that she has joined the Institute,” Stern said.