The Republican governor took several swipes at Trump, urging Americans to resist “the siren call of the angriest voices” during her party’s formal response to President Barack Obama’s SOTU speech.
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She acknowledged Wednesday that her comments were partly aimed at Trump, telling NBC’s “Today Show”: “Mr. Trump has definitely contributed to what I think is just irresponsible talk”.
However, Haley’s words also received praise from a lot of Republicans, including Jeb Bush and Paul Ryan, who has shown that he is willing to work with Democrats.
The short answer is that it was insufficiently hard-line on the issue of illegal immigration for some, as well as insufficiently angry.
“It’s larger than just Donald Trump: it’s about a way to be engaged in politics”, he said.
Haley was probably doing the bidding of the so-called GOP establishment, which would be expected (from the power brokers in both parties) in crafting the storyline of a nationally televised political speech. She’s not belligerent. She played a key role in removing the Confederate battle flag from South Carolina’s State House grounds. Most succinct was a tweet from the right’s bombastic blond bomb thrower, Ann Coulter, which said, “Trump should deport Nikki Haley”.
Ms. Haley admitted she was “partially” talking about Donald Trump when she warned against the “angriest voices” in America. “I am angry. I’m angry, and a lot of other people are angry too at how incompetently our country is being run”. I think she’s made her point pretty well, which is, as conservatives we’ve got great principles, great ideas. Trump said, “I mean, she comes up to my office when she wants campaign contributions and I’ve given her tremendous contributions over the years”. What I will tell you is, the Syrian refugees, I said when the Federal Bureau of Investigation director called and told me that he had no way of knowing what their past was, we said, well, we don’t want them. So what I would say to Mr. Trump is don’t take it personally.
Furman University political scientist Danielle Vinson said Haley offered something missing from 2016 GOP candidates on the campaign trail. We as Republicans need to own that truth….
“What I say about my other friends who are running for president, they don’t throw stones”, she said. “And his thesis seems to be correct”.
Fox News contributor Laura Ingraham tweeted that Haley squandered an opportunity to stand with working Americans on immigration, while Rush Limbaugh called her remarks proof positive that the Republican party is trying to drive out conservatives.
However, Ohio Republican Chairman Matt Borges said Trump’s approach could become a liability, though he said there’s time to correct course.
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It’s also possible King, a big Ted Cruz backer, is hoping Haley might yet endorse his candidate before South Carolina’s February 20 primary. South Carolinians chose to come together.
