Nikki Haley, the former Governor of South Carolina, asserts that ex-President Donald Trump is experiencing a mental “decline” and lacks the same level of competence he displayed in 2016.
During her appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday morning, host Margaret Brennan inquired whether Haley observed any indications of Trump’s mental decline during her tenure as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Did @NikkiHaley ever question Donald Trump’s mental fitness when she served in his cabinet?
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) January 21, 2024
“I called him out if he was doing something wrong,” but she says that Trump is now “just not at the same level he was at 2016. I think we're seeing some of that decline.” pic.twitter.com/D5coEaehEs
“If you look recently there have been multiple things,” Haley said. “He claimed Joe Biden was gonna get us into World War II. I’m assuming he meant World War III. He said he ran against President Obama. He never ran against President Obama.”
“Don’t be surprised. If you have somebody that’s 80 in office. Their mental stability is going to continue to decline. That’s just human nature,” Haley said. “If you look at Joe Biden, he’s very different than he was two years ago. Are we really going to go into a situation where we have wars around the world, and we’re trying to prevent war, and we’re gonna have someone who we can or can’t be sure is gonna get confused?”
“It’s a real issue. It’s not being disrespectful, it’s just a fact,” she added. “He’s just not at the same level he was at 2016, and I think we’re seeing some of that decline.”
Following her third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses, Nikki Haley is actively seeking support in New Hampshire and South Carolina to strengthen her presidential campaign. In Iowa, Donald Trump secured victory in every county except one, which Haley managed to win, albeit with a considerable margin over other contenders. Notably, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who came in second in Iowa, has recently withdrawn from the race and has chosen to endorse Trump. This development poses an additional challenge for Haley, as Trump solidifies his position as the clear front-runner in the primary.
Despite these obstacles, Trump took the opportunity to refute Haley’s assertions about his mental state during a gathering with supporters in New Hampshire over the weekend. He passionately argued that he is now more mentally fit than ever, countering Haley’s claims and emphasizing his readiness for the upcoming political challenges.
“I don’t mind being 80, but I’m 77, that’s a big difference,” he said. “I feel my mind is stronger now than it was 25 years ago.”
