With Flordia Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) exiting the presidential race on Sunday, former President Donald Trump plans to up his attack on former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) to ensure winning New Hampshire’s primary.
Trump chose to rip into his opponent while in New Hampshire. He accused her of being a liberal and having liberal policies.
“To the people of New Hampshire: all you need to know about Nikki Haley is that every globalist, liberal, Biden- supporter, and Never Trumper is on her side — and virtually every single leader in her home state of South Carolina is on our side,” Trump said.
During a campaign event in Concord on Friday, Trump criticized her U.N. ambassador record while she served under his 2016 administration, calling her a “disaster” when it comes down to foreign policy.
“She was not a good negotiator,” he said. “She likes to talk about how (she) negotiated with China. I negotiated with China.”
Trump also claimed that the only reason he chose Haley as a U.N. ambassador in 2017 was to get Henry McMaster, his ally, to become the governor of South Carolina, meaning he had to get her out of the way.
“She’s not tough enough. She’s not smart enough and she isn’t respected enough,” Trump claimed.
Nikki Haley was the US Ambassador to the UN. We all know about the UN. Besides the fact that she openly bashes the Republican Party, and Conservatives who support Trump. If you flip your vote you're a fkg sell-out. https://t.co/VT3Ko5yuJq
— The Constitutionalist 🇺🇸 (@WeWillBeFree24) January 20, 2024
As with his other opponents, Trump had no issues with name-calling, referring to Haley as “Nimrada.” Haley, whose birth name is Nimarata Nikki Randhawa, is the daughter of Indian immigrants and goes by her middle name, Nikki. Many took it as a racial jab by misspelling her first name. He has also referred to her as “bird brain.”
He also took a jab at Haley’s lack of endorsements, especially in her home state of South Carolina, which Haley shrugged off, stating that it was her tough policies behind the low amount. She did express being “disappointed” that Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) endorsed Trump, even though she appointed him to the lower chamber in 2013.
According to Reuters, Trump’s fundraiser, Ed McMullen, reported that more than 50 Haley and DeSantis donors were reaching out to join the former president after his crushing victory in Iowa.
The New Hampshire primary will be held on Jan. 23.
