Nikki Haley tries to explain tiptoeing around Trump: 'I don’t love my husband a hundred percent of the time'
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Tuesday attempted to square her circumspect criticism of ex-President Donald Trump with her pledge to support whichever contender survives the debates and wins the primary race for the 2024 GOP nomination.
Fox News host Neil Cavuto questioned Haley about her strategy's electoral viability.
"I've seen similar kinda musings out of Chris Christie — who never said any of this stuff when he worked for the president — but now of course he said January 6th changed his mind. What, what changed yours to not go on the attack — I mean, you're a little, you know, less direct than that — but to question Donald Trump more knowing that you risked the wrath of his voters and supporters, who are pretty much in lockstep with him and make up a large part of the Republican base right now?" Cavuto asked Haley, a former South Carolina governor and United States ambassador to the United Nations.
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"Neil, his voters and supporters, and the American people want the truth. I just speak hard truths," Haley stated.
"You've got some people who are mad that I don't love Trump ninety per, you know, a hundred percent of the time. I don't love my husband a hundred percent of the time. You've got some people who are upset that I don't disagree with him a hundred percent of the time," Haley continued. "I think he was the right president at the right time. I call it like I see it. And so look, I think he was the right president at the right time. I just think we need to move forward. Our country can't keep dealing with this chaos and this negativity. We've got to go forward."
Cavuto interjected for clarity.
"Does that mean — I'm sorry governor — does that mean he's the wrong president this time? And if Republicans nominate him as your, as your leader, and as your presidential candidate, you would not support him?" Cavuto inquired.
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"I have said, and I say it to every Republican candidate who's gonna get on that debate stage, I will support the Republican that comes out of that. Certainly, I want it to be me," Haley replied. "But I'm gonna support the Republican, because I don't believe that America can afford President Kamala Harris. And we all need to remember that the guys on the stage need to understand this is not about being personal. It's not about being petty. They've gotta get over it. At the end of the day, we need to make sure that President Kamala Harris is never president of the United States."
Cavuto wondered, "So you don't agree with the John Boltons of the world who think that the president should withdraw from the race much like Asa Hutchinson because of all these issues — legal, in other ways?"
Haley responded that Trump "has every right to run just like everyone else. And I trust the American people to make the right decision."
Watch below via The Daily Beast correspondent Justin Baragona or at this link.
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