Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley defended her decision to endorse former President Trump after being criticized by Liz Cheney, arguing that her principles are based on substance rather than style.
Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina governor, has defended her decision to endorse former President Donald Trump, despite criticism from Liz Cheney. Cheney, a former Republican Party star turned critic of Trump, called Haley's principles into question for endorsing Trump.
Haley told "Fox & Friends" on Monday that she respects Cheney's decision to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris but disagrees with her assessment of Haley's own decision. "It actually is [principled]," Haley said. "I'm voting based on substance. I'm looking at the fact we can't live the next four years like we did the last four years."
Nikki Haley Defends Endorsement of Trump, Criticizes Liz Cheney
Haley argued that Trump's policies are superior to Harris's, citing tax cuts, energy independence, strong national security, and border control. She dismissed Cheney's concerns that Trump would undermine the Constitution, saying that his policies are not worse than Harris's.
Haley acknowledged that Trump needs to expand his support base to win the election and urged him to focus on policies that appeal to conservative and moderate Republicans, suburban women, independents, and conservative Democrats. She predicted a "tight election" but expressed optimism that Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, can win over voters.
Nikki Haley Defends Endorsement of Trump, Criticizes Liz Cheney
Cheney, who was defeated in the Republican primary in Wyoming, has vowed to prevent Trump from ever holding office again. She has called him a "liar," a "con man," and a potential "tyrant." In an interview on ABC's "This Week," Cheney said she could not understand Haley's position.
"The things that she [Haley] said that she made clear, when she was running in the primary, those things are true," Cheney said. "Casting a vote for Donald Trump or writing someone in means that you've made the decision in too many instances that so many elected Republicans have made, which is, is to abandon the Constitution."
Nikki Haley Defends Endorsement of Trump, Criticizes Liz Cheney
Haley countered that she is willing to help Trump's campaign because she believes Harris would be a disaster for the country. "This is about my family. This is about America. These are about issues," Haley said. "If you don't like him, say you don't like him, but you can't say that his policies are worse than Kamala Harris'. That's just not a fact."
The Trump campaign quickly posted a clip of Cheney's previous criticism of Harris, arguing that it shows her hypocrisy. Cheney had said in 2018 that Harris's voting record in the Senate was "to the left of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren" and that she was "a radical liberal."
The exchange highlights the deep divisions within the Republican Party over Trump and his policies. While some Republicans have distanced themselves from Trump, others, like Haley, remain loyal to him. The outcome of the 2024 election will likely hinge on which side of the GOP prevails.
