During a campaign event in New Hampshire, former US President Donald Trump expressed his doubts about former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley’s suitability for high-level politics.
Trump questioned Haley’s ability to handle world leaders like Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping, stating that she is not “tough enough” for the job.
Trump, who currently leads the race to challenge presumptive Democratic candidate Joe Biden in the November election, holds a commanding lead in Republican support with over 66%, according to polling aggregator FiveThirtyEight. Haley, who is currently in second place with 12.3% support, is striving to solidify her position ahead of the New Hampshire primary. Trump’s remarks also hinted that Haley may not be chosen as his vice president.
Trump expressed his familiarity with Haley, whom he appointed as the US ambassador to the United Nations in 2017, by stating that he knows her well. However, he criticized her by stating that she lacks toughness, intelligence, and respect, making her unfit for the job.
Trump also doubted her ability to handle President Xi and President Putin. On the other hand, Haley has distanced herself from seeking the vice presidential nomination and emphasized that she does not aim for second place.
She even mentioned that Trump might not need to worry about selecting a vice president because she has plans of her own in the next six months.
Interestingly, Trump mistakenly referred to Haley as being in charge of security at the US Capitol during the January 6, 2021 riots, confusing her with Nancy Pelosi. The Biden campaign highlighted this confusion, describing Trump as deeply confused.
