Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Wednesday told listeners during the premiere episode of her new SiriusXM show “Nikki Haley Live” not to expect a “glowing speech” about former President Trump's character.
The former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor said she continued to criticize Trump and defended her support for the Republican candidate during the fierce 2024 presidential primary battle.
“So I said exactly how I feel about Joe Biden, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. If I thought either of those candidates were great, I wouldn't be running. So here we are now. I'm not taking anything back. I'm sticking with it,” Haley said on the show.
“So you're going to see me speak honestly on the show,” she continued, “but I also think it's important to say that on this show I'm not going to speak kindly about Donald Trump's character. I have issues with him, too.”
Haley was the final candidate to challenge Trump in the 2024 Republican primary, but the two politicians' arguments became particularly heated towards the end.
Haley referenced specific moments from the heated primary election in her speech on Wednesday.
“I haven't forgotten the things he said about me. I haven't forgotten the things he said about my husband and his deployment and military service. I haven't forgotten him or his campaign tactics, from putting birdcages outside his hotel room to calling me 'birdbrain,'” Haley said. “I haven't forgotten any of it.”
She explained why she still decided to support the former president, despite the rift between them prior to his withdrawal.
“But politics is not for the faint-hearted. It really isn't. I think if you really want to serve your country, you have to be able to put the personal aside,” she said.
Haley said she was looking at the race “as a voter” and with what's best for the country in mind.
“I'm all about what I can do to make this country better, and that's what I'm going to share with you on the show,” she said. “You just hear the truth. Sometimes you think someone has done something good, and in that case you say that. Sometimes you think someone has done something bad, and in that case you say that too.”
“But I think the best way to serve our country is not to dwell on personal issues, but to focus on the state of our economy, the state of our border, our national security, our freedom and what that means for our country,” Haley continued. “So we would love to do that.”
The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for response.
