Have you ever seen a politician unable to get over losing a primary election continue to take shots at the candidate who beat him or her? Even better, when the sore loser continues to throw the winner under the bus without blatantly doing so? If not, welcome the latest episode of “Nikki Can’t Get Past It.”
Yep, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley showed up on Sunday’s broadcast of CBS’s “Face the Nation” to make sure viewers knew that if she thought former President Donald Trump was a “great candidate,” she “wouldn’t have run for president.”
Just to be crystal clear, Haley added: “I ran because I thought I could do a better job.”
Meanwhile, Trump is the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, and Haley is not. Given that reality, CBS host Margaret Brennan asked the former candidate if she was open to stumping for Trump in the final weeks of the campaign.
You said you’re on standby. In other words, you haven’t been asked to campaign. Are you advising at all on his debate preparation or speaking to the campaign?
Haley said (feigned?) that she’d be “happy to be helpful” if Trump wanted her to campaign.
I’m not and, you know, that’s his choice. He can — you know, whatever he decides to do with his campaign, he can do that. But when I called him back in June, I told him I was supportive. I think the teams have talked to each other a little bit, but there hasn’t been an ask as of yet. But, you know, should he ask, I’m happy to be helpful.
How so, now that Nikki’s on the record as not thinking Trump was a “great candidate” and that she thinks she would have done “a better job”?
Brennan was unable to contain her Trump Derangement Syndrome affliction, turning to the former president’s alleged “sexual assault” of writer E. Jean Carroll. (Trump is seeking to erase a $5 million judgment finding him liable for sexually abusing and defaming the writer.) Emphasis, mine:
So the things you rattled off are specific policy issues. Right here in New York, Donald Trump just finished a press conference, three-quarters of which was about grievances related to that past conviction related to alleged sexual assault.
I know when you were campaigning, you said you had no reason really to question the findings of the jury related to the defamation case brought by E. Jean Carroll.
I’m not asking you about the specifics of the case, but if that’s the focus of a press conference for a presidential candidate, a, is it the best use of his time and what is the message to female voters to be going through this again?
Loaded question, much, Margaret?
Haley said the focus should be on policy, but Brennan persisted: “But, he’s the candidate.”
No, and I’ve always said, look, if I thought Biden or Trump were great candidates, I wouldn’t have run for president. I ran because I thought I could do a better job.
Brennan, one more time: “You don’t think he’s a good candidate.”
Haley then went Haley, trying to have it both ways.
I think he is the Republican nominee, and I think put him against Kamala Harris, who’s the Democrat nominee. For me, it’s not a question. Now, do I agree with his style? Do I agree with his approach? Do I agree with his communications? No. When I look at the policies and how they affect my family and how I think they’re going to affect the country, that’s where I go back and I look at the differences.
I mean, this is— these are the candidates we have been given. You look at Kamala Harris, and it’s quite remarkable. She never had a debate, she never had a primary, she never had anyone vote for her, and they basically took her, and in 48 hours, they put her back out there, and she was this whole new candidate. But the reality is, she has a record. The administration has a record.
Trump has a record. And so neither are perfect, neither are ideal, but when I look at which one, I don’t agree with Trump on everything, but I agree with him on a lot of the policies. I don’t know that I agree with Harris on many policies at all. And so I think when women go to vote, they’re going to look at how does this affect my family? How does this affect our finances? How does this affect safety and national security, and which do we choose from?
And so as a voter, the one I went with is with Trump, because I know that I’ve seen what his policies do. I know our economy was better under Trump. I know our national security was better under Trump. I know that our energy was dominant under Trump, and I know that if we want to look at how we’re going to get that back on track, I think he’s probably the best candidate we have to do it well.
In other words, it almost sounds like Haley looks at Trump as the lesser of two evils.
Also Read:
‘Unity’: Nikki Haley Takes the RNC Stage With That Paramount Message
Nikki Haley Says She’ll Vote for Trump – Will Her Voters Do the Same?
Do I think Nikki’s going to get that call from Trump, asking her to campaign? Nope. But then again, in this bizarre presidential election season, anything is possible.
Or should I say nothing would surprise me? Yeah, let’s go with that.
