Washington | Prominent Indian-American politician Nikki Haley launched her presidential campaign on Tuesday, becoming the first Republican to challenge former US President Donald Trump in his 2024 bid for the White House.

Haley, 51, is the two-term Governor of South Carolina and the former US Ambassador to the United Nations.

"I'm Nikki Haley, and I'm running for President,” she announced in a video message.

"It's time for a new generation of leadership – to rediscover fiscal responsibility, secure our border, and strengthen our country, our pride and our purpose. Some people look at America and see vulnerability. The socialist left sees an opportunity to rewrite history,” she said.

Identifying herself as proud daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley talks about growing up in Bamberg, South Carolina and how it shaped her belief in a strong and proud America.

“We turned away from fear toward God and the values that still make our country the freest and greatest in the world. We must turn in that direction again,” she said.

Casting herself as a younger, fresher alternative to Trump, Haley had been hinting at a White House bid for weeks.

Her formal declaration means she will be the first contender to join the contest against her former 76-year-old boss Trump, who announced his third bid for the White House late last year.