In a recent turn of events, former President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Nikki Haley, a fellow GOP presidential candidate, following the second GOP presidential debate. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, referred to Haley as a "birdbrain" and questioned her loyalty, suggesting she has told "plenty of lies."
Trump's post highlighted Haley's previous statement where she had indicated she would not run for president in 2024 if Trump decided to make another bid for the White House. He recalled her words, "'I will never run against our great President,' she said, 'he has done an outstanding job.'" Trump responded to her past comments by saying, "How nice of you to say, Nikki," but also added that he believed her words held no weight. He went on to mention a visit Haley made to Mar-a-Lago with her family, where they brought "gifts." Trump concluded his post by stating that Haley lacks the "TALENT or TEMPERAMENT" to do the job and reiterated his signature slogan, "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
This public exchange comes on the heels of the recent GOP debate where Haley, among other candidates, criticized Trump. Haley's rising prominence in the GOP presidential field might be a reason for the heightened tension. In response to Trump's remarks, Haley took to X, suggesting that her campaign is gaining momentum. She commented, "Love this. It means we are in 2nd and moving up fast. Bring it!" Recent polls from New Hampshire show Haley in second place with 15% support. Furthermore, her performance in the first debate in August saw a significant boost in her polling numbers.
During the second debate, Haley took the opportunity to critique Trump's policies related to China. She argued that while Trump focused on trade relations, he overlooked other significant issues. These included China's involvement in shipping fentanyl to the U.S., establishing a base in Cuba, and deploying spy balloons across the country. Haley pointedly remarked, "This is where President Trump went wrong."
Adding to the debate's drama, Trump chose to skip the event and instead hosted a separate gathering. Haley, commenting on his absence on Fox News, stated that Trump has "a lot of questions to answer to." She added, "You can't win if you're absent."
The Trump campaign was quick to retaliate post-debate, bringing up a 2012 interview where Haley had praised then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as an "inspiration" for her career. They also criticized Haley's stance on continued U.S. aid to Ukraine in its defense against Russia, suggesting she was more focused on spending rather than seeking a peaceful solution.
