Nikki Haley , former United Nations ambassador and presidential candidate, was interviewed Thursday for the first time since speaking at the Republican National Convention. She defended her decision to endorse former President Donald Trump and spoke about President Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 election.
Haley told CNN's Jake Tapper she “wasn’t surprised” that Biden stepped aside and that “there is an issue that we have in D.C. where people will go into office and they won't let go, and then their staffers and their family keep propping them up.”
“I never thought he would make it to the election. I always said a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris.”
The former South Carolina governor argued that while “the Democrats are very smart to put in a younger candidate,” they also selected “the weakest candidate.”
“She had one job that was to deal with illegal immigration and the border. She didn't do it,” Haley said.
Haley pointed out that Vice President Kamala Harris had an extremely liberal voting record in the Senate, did not show up to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress, and is against fracking.
She said Republicans need to attack Harris on merit instead of her race or sex because “the American people are smarter than that.”
“Talk about the fact that consumer prices have gone up 19.5% since Joe and Kamala were in office. Talk about the fact that she's always sided with the Palestinian protests instead of our friend Israel. There are so many issues we can talk about when it comes to Kamala Harris that it doesn't matter what she looks like," Haley said.
She defended her endorsement of Trump, saying, “I know when it comes to energy dominance, I know when it comes to national security, I know when it comes to keeping our enemies at bay, I know he's strong, and I know he'll continue to do that.”
“I know he'll deal with the border. You put that against Harris. I don't know that I agree with even 10% of her,” Haley continued.
This comes after Haley sent a cease-and-desist letter to a group called “Haley Voters for Harris” requesting that it stop using her name to support the presumptive Democratic nominee.
The interview then shifted to foreign policy, particularly on disagreements within the Republican Party. Haley argued that Trump “was actually very hard on Russia” and pointed out that he “ordered arms and equipment to go to Ukraine even before he left office.”
“You look at Biden. A lot happened. Not only did Afghanistan fall, but you saw Russia become much more aggressive, and we've seen China become more aggressive," Haley said. "I know that Trump kept dictators at bay, and that's what I hope he will continue to do."
Haley said she does not believe the United States needs to give Ukraine cash, but that it should try to supply the “equipment and ammunition they need to win.”
She said that while there is a division in the Republican Party on Ukraine, the Democratic Party’s lack of support for Israel is far worse, specifically mentioning Harris.
“Everybody ran to Israel's defense on Oct. 7," Haley said. "But now that Israel's fighting back, you're going to condemn them?”
Haley made clear she “was not looking for a job” in the Trump administration and declined to definitively say whether or not she would run for president again.
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Haley has struck the appropriate tone to remain politically relevant in the GOP without sacrificing her principles. Unlike the aforementioned "Haley Voters for Harris," who have allowed their hatred of Trump to blind themselves to Harris's extremism, Haley sees a path forward within the Republican Party.
If Trump loses in November, it will be time to reassess the direction of the conservative movement. Haley may not be the right leader for this realignment, but rather than giving up, she has demonstrated faith in her party.
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