Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Sunday refused to give a definite answer on whether or not she’ll back her primary rival, Donald Trump in the general election. According to her, she’s contesting against him because of what she called his ‘unfitness for office.” She had an interview with ABC News “This Week” co-anchor, Jonathan Karl.
During the interview, she was asked if she would stick to her pledge to support the party’s eventual nominee. This was her response: “I am running against him for a reason. … The last thing on my mind is who I’m going to support. The only thing on my mind is how we’re going to win this,”
In It To Win It
She mentioned that she wasn’t going anywhere and she’s in this-her bid to become president-for the long run and she’s ready to see it to the end. “Does that mean you will not support him if he’s the Republican nominee?” Karl asked.
Again, her response gave nothing away. “Y’all can talk about support later. Right now you can ask him if he’s going to support me when I’m the nominee,” she said.
Nikki Haley Doubts Trump’s Support
When asked her thoughts on Trump’s potential support if she wins, she responded, “Do you think he would?” Haley asked back, laughing. “I highly doubt it.”
The former South Carolina governor reportedly tagged Trump as too unstable to lead the U.S. at a time of crisis elsewhere, just like in Europe and the Middle East. “This is not the time to talk about America hiding in a bubble and not doing anything with the rest of the world,” she said.
Trump’s Silence On Navalny Questioned
She called out Trump on his silence in the wake of the death of the imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexis Navalny. To her, she feels it shows how he really feels about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Either he sides with Putin and thinks it’s cool that Putin killed one of his political opponents, or he just doesn’t think it’s that big of a deal,” Haley told ABC News. “Either one of those is concerning. Either one of those is a problem.”
Navalny’s Death Blame Game
Haley and other leading American politicians, including President Joe Biden, have blamed Putin for Navalny’s death, claims which the Kremlin firmly denies. Trump has so far made no comments on the case. Rather, he affirmed on social media his plan to bring ‘Peace, Prosperity, and stability’ if he’s re-elected again.
Haley, who served as Trump’s U.N. ambassador, also accused the former president of emboldening Putin. This was with reference to his comments earlier this month that he would “encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to U.S. allies who don’t spend enough on their defense.
Navalny A Hero For Standing Up Against Putin
“That’s bone-chilling because all he did in that one moment was empower Putin,” Haley said. “We need to remind the American people that Vladimir Putin is not our friend. Vladimir Putin is not cool,” Haley said. “This is not someone we want to associate with. This is not someone that we want to be friends with. This is not someone that we can trust.”
She called Navalny a ‘hero’. She also mentioned that standing against Putin also means standing with “the Russian people who believe Navalny was really talking for them,” and standing with Ukraine in fighting against Russia’s invasion.
Haley Criticizes Biden’s Silence On Ukraine Aid
Ukraine’s aid legislation has stalled in Congress and Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has refused to bring it up for a vote over a dispute about border politics. When asked about this, Haley turned to President Joe Biden.
“Well, I think first you have to talk about what should Joe Biden be doing,” Haley said. “The reason you’re seeing America become more isolationist is at no point has Joe Biden had a conversation with the American people about why Ukraine is important.”
Republicans To Blame Instead?
Karl fired back stating that The Republicans are at fault for the stalled bid, not Biden. He noted Biden’s earlier visit to the war-torn country and the multiple times he’s addressed the nation on the issue.
“This is not the time to pick which side is right or wrong,” Haley replied, adding that Biden “needs to be speaking more to the American people about what this package means” while contending that Congress was also “failing” and “needs to do their job and make sure that they go and do everything they can for national security.”
Haley Roasts Trump’s RNC Shake-up
Haley on Sunday also derided Trump’s attempts to lodge new leadership at the Republican National Committee. The committee will reportedly include one of his top aides and his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump.
While a party’s presidential nominees historically shape the party around them, Donald Trump is still in a primary race against Haley. However, he’s won in every state so far.
RNC As Trump’s Legal Piggy Bank
“The part I worry about is the RNC is now going to be the piggy bank for Trump’s legal fees,” Haley said on “This Week,” arguing that a move like that would impact races across the country.
Lara Trump has said that under new leaders, “Every single penny will go to the No. 1 and the only job of the RNC, that is electing Donald J. Trump as president of the United States.”
Resource Drain: Haley Warns GOP
“You can hang up winning the House and the Senate or having any resources for us to win any other races if all they’re doing is thinking about how they’re going to pay his court season,” Haley said on Sunday.
She again made her pitch to voters: “We need a new generational leader that’s not distracted by court cases, that’s not filled with vengeance towards our enemies, that’s not in the drama.”
