Here’s what Donald Trump had to say about Nikki Haley

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A day after Nikki Haley officially launched her campaign for president, directly challenging former President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination, Trump released several criticisms of his new opponent.

Haley was the governor of South Carolina before Trump nominated her in 2017 to serve in his administration as ambassador to the United Nations. At his campaign launch Wednesday, he drew attention to his foreign policy experience. While the two appeared to work well together while Trump was in the White House, he tried to downplay her foreign policy expertise by saying he nominated her just to get her out of the Palmetto State.

Screenshot of @realDonaldTrump on Truth Social

Thursday morning, Haley refused to back Trump while on “Fox & Friends,” instead saying, “I’m a friend of Donald Trump … I didn’t kick sideways in this race. I’m moving forward. Joe Biden is the president.”

Although Haley pulled her punches, that didn’t stop Trump from throwing more at her by midday Thursday. He reposted various op-eds on his Truth Social account that criticized Haley for being an interventionist neoconservative, a flip-flopper and a “born-loser.”

Trump’s campaign also weighed in on her rival’s history, comparing Haley’s track record to 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. A campaign email titled, “the Real Nikki Haley,” quoted her in a 2012 interview with The New York Times in which she said Clinton inspired her own political career.

The email also attacks Haley for her past support for addressing Social Security and Medicare to get to “the heart of what makes government grow.”

Haley did not mention reforming Social Security or Medicare during her campaign launch, but Trump’s criticism of her past comments appears to parallel criticism of the GOP by President Joe Biden. In his State of the Union address he called out some Republicans for wanting to reform entitlement programs.

Biden was the target of loud boos from Republicans during a speech last week when he said “Some Republicans want to gut Medicare and Social Security.” The president made comments about ongoing negotiations on raising the debt ceiling that Republicans want tied to spending cuts.

In an interview Wednesday night on “Fox News Digital,” Trump welcomed Haley into the presidential race. “The more the merrier,” he said in response to the prospect that other members of his former cabinet may also announce presidential campaigns.

In 2021, Haley told the press that she would not run against Trump if he decided to run for president again, promising to speak with her former boss before deciding to run. Trump announced his campaign in November, becoming the first Republican to do so. Trump revealed earlier this month in a radio interview that Haley had called him to discuss the prospect of her jumping the race.

Trump said he told her that she “should follow her heart,” adding, “he’s a very ambitious person, He can’t stay in his seat. And I said, you know what? Nikki, if you want you run, go ahead and run.”

On Wednesday, he repeated what he told Haley. “I’m glad he’s running,” Trump told Fox News. “I want him to follow his heart – even if he makes a promise that he will never run against what he calls the greatest president of his life.”

Trump said he’s comfortable with where his campaign is right now, pointing to several polls showing him in key states. “I’m leading every poll by a lot — both Republicans and Democrats,” Trump said. “We will make America again.”

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