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
Chicago immigration news: President Donald Trump's new policies cause worry among refugees, asylum seekers in city, suburbs

Chicago’s Refugee and Asylum Communities on Edge Amid Trump’s New Immigration Policies

In the heart of Chicago, refugee communities are voicing their concerns over…
Trump, Clinton seen in new batch of Epstein photos released by Democrats

Shocking Revelations: Newly Released Epstein Photos Feature Trump and Clinton

California’s Representative Robert Garcia, the leading Democrat on the Oversight panel, has…
Readers sound off on recycling pennies, Mamdani’s critics and remembering Sinatra

Engage in the Penny Debate, Explore Mamdani’s Controversy, and Relive Sinatra’s Legacy

Our abundance of pennies could save the penny Manhattan is bracing for…
Trump signs executive order blocking states from enforcing their own regulations around AI

Trump’s AI Executive Order: A Bold Move to Centralize Control and Override State Regulations

In a decisive move on Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive…
Fired Michigan coach Sherrone Moore faces arraignment amid assault investigation

Breaking: Former Michigan Coach Sherrone Moore Awaits Arraignment in High-Profile Assault Case

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Following a two-night stay in jail, former Michigan…
Fox News True Crime Newsletter: Brian Walshe’s secrets, Luigi Mangione 911 call, Marilyn Monroe mystery

Brian Walshe Opts Out of Testifying Amid Allegations of Tampering with Father’s Will Prior to Murder Trial

Brian Walshe, currently on trial for murder, opted not to testify in…
ICE arrests criminal illegal immigrant accused of fleeing head-on crash that severely injured Maryland woman

ICE Apprehends Fugitive Illegal Immigrant Linked to Devastating Maryland Crash

A suspected illegal immigrant, who reportedly made his way into the U.S.…
Police warned Luigi Mangione he'd face more trouble for using fake name: bodycam video

Watch: Police Catch Luigi Mangione in Fake Name Scandal – Bodycam Footage Reveals All!

Authorities in Pennsylvania consistently cautioned Luigi Mangione that persisting with a false…
Mississippi governor orders release of man who served more than 10 years of illegal 15-year sentence

Mississippi Governor Grants Freedom to Man After Over a Decade of Unlawful Imprisonment

In a significant turn of events, Mississippi’s Republican Governor Tate Reeves has…
Tourist stabbed multiple times at NYC's iconic Macy's during holiday shopping rush

Shocking Stabbing Incident at NYC’s Famous Macy’s Amid Holiday Shopping Frenzy

A shocking incident unfolded at Macy’s Herald Square in New York City…
DJ Commando Chicago death: Father, family remember Landon Wallace, DJ for Bulls, Northwestern football and Power 92.3, who died

Beloved Chicago DJ and Sports Enthusiast Landon Wallace Remembered by Family After Passing

The relatives of a cherished Chicago DJ are opening up for the…
'Just one tiny dot': Detectives reveal the alarming tricks online predators use to target kids

Detectives Uncover Subtle Tactics Used by Online Predators to Target Children

Discover how a simple dot can unwittingly expose your child to the…