Over the weekend, presidential candidate Nikki Haley intensified her criticisms of former President Donald Trump, prompting a rebuttal from Trump himself, who cautioned that “Birdbrain” is predominantly supported by Democrats.
The former governor of South Carolina targeted Trump in television interviews and social media posts over the weekend, focusing particularly on his legal troubles and indictments, a strategy she has consistently employed during her campaign.
“The Donald Trump promise he hasn’t fulfilled: you’re going to be tired of winning!” she said on Saturday, asserting that “Everything Trump touches falls apart.”
“Chaos follows him, and Republicans have paid the price for the last 7 years. We’re tired of losing, let’s start winning again,” she said:
The Donald Trump promise he hasn’t fulfilled: you’re going to be tired of winning!
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) February 17, 2024
Everything Trump touches falls apart. Chaos follows him, and Republicans have paid the price for the last 7 years. We’re tired of losing, let’s start winning again. pic.twitter.com/lCVys5aTau
In a subsequent social media update on X platform, Haley once more took a jab at Trump regarding his ongoing legal challenges, remarking, “Trump intends to exploit the RNC as his personal funding source to address his continuous legal expenses.” She further asserted, “He won’t stand a chance against Joe Biden if he’s preoccupied with courtroom battles instead of focusing on the campaign trail.”
Trump is going to use the RNC as his own personal piggy bank to cover his constant legal bills. There’s no way he can beat Joe Biden if he’s spending more time in the courtroom than on the campaign trail. pic.twitter.com/uhP9k9kp06
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) February 17, 2024
In a separate post, Haley attempted to leverage Trump’s age, which is 77, as a point of contention, despite the evident distinction Americans have made between Trump, at 77, and Biden, at 81.
“Do we really want to put our country and the issues we’re facing in the hands of two 80-year-olds? If pilots have an age limit, if the military has an age limit, shouldn’t we have mental competency tests for those who are making decisions about the future of our economy and our national security?” she asked:
Do we really want to put our country and the issues we're facing in the hands of two 80-year-olds? If pilots have an age limit, if the military has an age limit, shouldn't we have mental competency tests for those who are making decisions about the future of our economy and our…
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) February 18, 2024
Continuing her series of social media updates over the weekend, Haley made an appearance on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, where she declined to indicate whether she would endorse Trump as the Republican nominee.
“I mean, keep in mind, I am running against him for a reason,” she said, explaining that she does not believe Trump is the right person at this time.
“The last thing on my mind is who I’m going to support. The only thing on my mind is how we’re going to win this. The only thing on my mind is how we’re going to make sure that we correct what’s happening in America and we bring this country back together, allow her to heal and move in a strong way,” she said.
“We are going to have a female President of the United States,” she said, playing the gender card. It will either be me or it will be Kamala Harris. And if Donald Trump is the nominee of the – in – for the Republican Party, he will not win,” she continued, refusing to answer the question.
On Truth Social Sunday night, Trump fired back at Haley’s recent barrage of criticisms, branding her as “ignorant” and asserting that she fails to grasp the broader context.
“When will stupid people like Nikki Haley confess to knowing that the Indictments and Litigation that I am fighting is all DEMOCRAT and Crooked Joe Biden INSPIRED, COORDINATED, & RUN!” Trump exclaimed.
“They have done a terrible job, and there is nothing else that they can do to save their ‘sinking ship.’ It is illegal Election Interference, and if I weren’t running, or leading so big, none of this would be happening,” Trump said, explaining that Haley is backed by Democrats and does not have what it takes to win.
“If Birdbrain were ever in my position, which she won’t be, she would be hit just as hard, and not be able to fight back. The only money she is getting now is coming from Democrats. I know her well, and she just doesn’t have what it takes, and never will,” Trump said, adding, “MAGA! P.S. She’s losing to Biden in almost every poll. I am winning in EVERY poll!”
It’s worth noting that Haley has received backing from Democrats, including billionaire donor Reid Hoffman, who visited Epstein Island and only halted his contributions to Haley in January.
Moreover, Haley’s campaign has acknowledged its reliance on non-conservative voters in open primary states to bolster her support as the primary contest progresses. This strategic approach was substantiated by a CNN exit poll during the New Hampshire primary, which revealed that approximately 70 percent of Haley’s supporters were registered as undeclared voters prior to Election Day.
Haley’s intensified criticisms of Trump come just one week before the primary in her home state of South Carolina. However, multiple polls consistently indicate that the former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. trails Trump by a considerable margin.
According to the RealClearPolitics average on Monday, Haley lags behind by an average of 31 points in the Palmetto State.
