Former President Donald Trump is not taking the high road after his former United States ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley launched her presidential bid for 2024.
The 51-year-old daughter of Indian immigrants is pushing the message that it is time for a new generation of leaders to emerge. The idea is to draw a contrast with President Joe Biden, who is 80 and is the oldest president ever.
In her campaign speech, Haley stated: “We’re ready – ready to move past the stale ideas and faded names of the past, and we are more than ready for a new generation to lead us into the future.”
Haley wants “mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old.”
However, the attack against Biden also works with primary rival Trump who is 76. Haley is doing all of this in a very subtle way not to anger her former boss.
Trump, who is a very shrewd politician, understands what is behind the play. So, he is going after Haley as hard as possible. Trump does not want the former governor of South Carolina to gain momentum.
She is currently polling as a distant third behind Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has not yet declared his intention to run for the Republican nomination for president.
In his latest attacks, Trump suggests that he only hired Haley in his administration so South Carolina could have a new governor, Henry McMaster, a Trump ally.
The business mogul wrote on Truth Social: “The greatest thing Nikki Haley did for our Country, and the Great State of South Carolina, was accepting the position of United Nations Ambassador so that the incredible then Lieutenant Governor, Henry McMaster, could be Governor of South Carolina, where he has done an absolutely fantastic job. That was a big reason why I appointed Nikki to the position—It was a favor to the people I love in South Carolina!”
The Real Nikki Haley pic.twitter.com/BcW8doC3rt
— Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) February 15, 2023
The day before, Trump’s campaign also went after Haley for being soft on different issues important to the conservative base.
Haley was accused of being a fan of former Democratic nominee for president Hillary Clinton, a very unpopular figure in the GOP.
Trump’s staff said Haley opposed the border wall and the so-called bathroom bill. She was also blasted for supporting Paul Ryan‘s entitlement reform and the Ukrainian resistance after the Russian invasion.
Trump’s team then claimed that he deserves most of the credit for the release of Otto Frederick Warmbier in 2017 while Haley was working for him.
For now, Haley is trying not to attack Trump directly. However, it is not clear how long she will be able to continue on that path if she really wants to win the nomination.
