Nalin Haley, son of former US ambassador and ex–South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, has downplayed claims that he represents Generation Z politically, saying his recent online prominence was unintended and unwanted. Responding on X to a New York Post story about his growing influence among young conservatives, the 24-year-old insisted he has no plans to build a public platform.“Lol I never said I was the voice of GenZ. It was never my intention to get any platform and it still isn’t,” he wrote. “You’re not gonna see me starting some podcast, YouTube channel, streaming service, or any form of monetization. I’ve avoided the media my whole life and still decline 95% of requests.”Haley added that he is speaking out only because he feels “sickened by the destruction of my country and the disrespect towards my fellow Americans, particularly those in my generation.”When asked by a user what his mother thought about his rising attention, he replied, “We don’t talk about politics at all. Yall see Nikki Haley, I just see Mom.”
Gen Z frustration and Republican disconnect
The New York Post story referred to his appearance on Tucker Clarkson’s podcast, where Haley said younger conservatives feel economically abandoned – a sentiment he believes helps explain the appeal of politicians like New York’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani among young voters.“My friends graduated with great degrees from great schools, and a year and a half later, none of them have a job,” he told the paper. “I think [people who voted for Mamdani are] saying the same things. They just have some different ways to fix the problems.”He argued that Republicans must pay closer attention to the concerns of voters in their early 20s: “My issue is that the Democrats are listening to the younger people and it’s time for the Republicans to do the same.”
Views diverging from Nikki Haley
The Post said that Haley holds views notably to the right of his mother, including stricter immigration positions and a more isolationist foreign-policy outlook.He says the generational gap explains their differences: “I’m just from a different generation, so I have different viewpoints than my mom.”Haley, who works in finance in Fort Mill, South Carolina, describes himself as a Christian, populist and nationalist. He has been critical of corporate influence in Republican politics, arguing that young conservatives are turning away from what he calls a “libertarian neoliberal market mindset.”He has also advocated restricting legal immigration, saying, “It makes no sense to have foreign workers come here [while] we actually are not hiring our own kids.”
No interest in political career, despite viral rise
Despite his growing visibility, Haley maintains he has no intention of pursuing public office: “It was never my intention to get any sort of platform.”He believes, however, that the Republican Party must broaden its appeal among young voters who feel economically sidelined: “My hope is that [the party] will help my generation be able to have the same opportunities that the prior generations had.”For now, he says he wants nothing more than a normal life – and to keep political conversations far away from the family dinner table.
