Share this @internewscast.com

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said Monday that Donald Trump is “not qualified” to lead the country again after his recent comments about her deployed husband.

“He showed that with that kind of disrespect for the military, he’s not qualified to be the president of the United States, because I don’t trust him to protect them,” Haley said.

During a rally Saturday afternoon, Trump jabbed at Haley and her husband when talking about meeting them at his Florida resort.

“Then she comes over to see me at Mar-a-Lago. ‘Sir, I will never run against you.’ She brought her husband,” Trump said. “Where’s your husband? Oh, he’s away. He’s away. What happened to her husband? What happened to her husband? Where is he? He’s gone! He knew. He knew.”

In the past, Trump has made dubious comments about the Haleys’ marriage.

Michael Haley, a commissioned officer in the South Carolina Army National Guard, left for a yearlong deployment in June — a fact that Haley frequently mentions at her campaign events.

Haley fired back at Trump on social media over the weekend, and then in remarks to reporters Monday contrasted her husband’s service with the fact that Trump has “never come anywhere near a military uniform.”

“He’s never had to fight for survival like so many of them sacrifice to go do,” she said. “The most harm he’s ever come across is whether a golf ball hits him on a golf cart.”

And Haley said Monday that she didn’t believe Trump’s comments were an accident.

“This wasn’t a slip of the tongue for Trump,” she said. “When he goes off his teleprompter, that’s him speaking from the heart and it’s a pattern.” She brought up examples of Trump calling military members “suckers” and “losers,” according to his former chief of staff John Kelly, and other disparaging comments he is said to have made while visiting Arlington National Cemetery.

In 2020, Haley praised Trump’s record toward the military and defended him when then-candidate Joe Biden tweeted a video citing the “losers” and “suckers” remarks. Haley at the time said, “All of us who worked with [Trump] witnessed the tremendous amount of love and respect he has for our military.”

Haley, who signed a pledge to support her party’s nominee before participating in GOP primary debates last year, did not directly answer a question about whether she would vote for Trump again in 2024, noting that she’s “still trying to defeat him.”

But Haley added: “Anyone who will put down members of the military, anyone who will say that while they’re deployed — which is pretty disgusting — do you really want that person being the leader of all those who may have to go fight in a war?”

Trump national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, “There has been no greater advocate for our brave military men and women than President Trump.”

She added: “Nikki Haley advocates for greater foreign intervention and supports endless wars that would leave more American heroes dead. It’s a good thing she will be never be commander-in-chief.”

Haley has ramped up her rhetoric against the former president ahead of the Feb. 24 South Carolina primary, with early voting in the contest starting Monday. Her campaign debuted a chicken mascot last week, calling the former president “too chicken to debate.” It began handing out mental competency tests at campaign events, too. And the Haley team drove a mobile billboard outside of Trump’s event in South Carolina over the weekend that showed Trump and President Joe Biden on the “Grumpy Old Men” movie poster.

Haley fundraised off of Trump’s Saturday comments over the weekend, selling pro-military T-shirts and asking supporters to help “defeat Trump and elect a commander in chief who supports our troops and understands the sacrifices our military families make.”

Trump never served in the military. But going back to his first campaign for president, he has, at times, made disparaging comments about those who have.

In 2015, he went after then-Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and mocked his service and experience as a prisoner of war.

“He’s not a war hero,” Trump said. “He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured.”

Also during the 2016 campaign, Trump insulted the parents of a fallen Muslim U.S. Army captain, after they spoke out against him at the Democratic convention that year.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
'I'll be back': Cast of 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' talk favorite James Cameron movie quotes during movie interview

I’ll Be Back’: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Cast Shares Favorite James Cameron Quotes in Exclusive Interview

The countdown is almost over for what promises to be the cinematic…
Texas church depicts Holy Family in cage wrapped in barbed wire in nativity display

Texas Church Unveils Provocative Nativity Scene Featuring Holy Family Enclosed in Cage Wrapped in Barbed Wire

A church in Texas has ignited a discussion by unveiling a nativity…
Border Patrol in Chicago, today: CBP Chief Greg Bovino, federal immigration agents in Little Village, Cicero, Oak Park

Chicago Border Patrol Operations Unfold: CBP Chief Greg Bovino Joins Federal Immigration Agents in Little Village, Cicero, and Oak Park

CHICAGO (WLS) — On Tuesday, Chicago witnessed a notable presence of federal…
'We just want peace of mind': Westside neighbors call for change over crime at Paxon Shopping Center

Westside Residents Demand Action as Crime Escalates at Paxon Shopping Center

Residents of Jacksonville’s Westside are growing increasingly concerned over a shopping center…
Kia, Hyundai reach $9 million settlement after viral vehicle thefts

Kia and Hyundai Agree to $9 Million Settlement Following Widespread Vehicle Theft Issues

Footage demonstrating how to exploit the weak security of certain Kia and…
Trump Slams Door on High-Risk Countries, Expands Entry Restrictions to Protect U.S.

Trump Tightens Entry Restrictions: A Bold Move to Shield America from High-Risk Nations

Revamping the United States’ immigration system, often criticized as ineffective during President…
Connecticut man gets 50 years in prison for 2022 murder of Waterbury teen

Connecticut Man Sentenced to Half a Century for Waterbury Teen’s 2022 Murder: A Deep Dive into Justice Served

On Tuesday, a man from Connecticut was handed a 50-year prison sentence…
MIT professor shot, killed in Brookline home: What we know about Boston-area attack

Tragic Loss: MIT Professor Fatally Shot in Brookline Home – Unraveling the Shocking Boston-Area Incident

BROOKLINE, Mass. – The tragic death of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology…
New mobile clinic by Sunshine Health aims to address child health care

Sunshine Health Launches Innovative Mobile Clinic to Enhance Child Healthcare Accessibility

A mobile clinic in Jacksonville is offering complimentary health checkups for children…
Suspect charged in grisly murder of 93-year-old military veteran found stabbed to death in his home

Chilling Case Unveiled: Suspect Charged in Brutal Stabbing of 93-Year-Old War Hero

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office revealed on Monday that charges have been…
EXCLUSIVE: America First Legal blasts major publisher over alleged DEI hiring practices

America First Legal Takes on Major Publisher: Uncovering Controversial DEI Hiring Practices

EXCLUSIVE: America First Legal (AFL) has announced that it has submitted a…
Luigi Mangione smiles for cameras in court as defense claims police violated his rights

Luigi Mangione’s Courtroom Grin: Defense Alleges Rights Violations by Police

NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione, beaming for the cameras, made his way…