Nikki Haley Has Something To Say About Donald Trump
Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, has defended her position on Donald Trump in the Wall Street Journal, writing that the "liberal media" is trying to "stoke a nonstop Republican civil war."
Formerly an ally and "friend" to Trump, Haley turned on him in a Politico interview in February 2021, describing herself as "disgusted" by his part in the deadly Capitol building riots. The politician, who Politico referred to as a "2024 hopeful" because of her ambitions to run for president in the next elections, did however refuse to condemn his overall legacy.
"I think what we need to do is take the good that he built, leave the bad that he did, and get back to a place where we can be a good, valuable, effective party," Haley insisted, maintaining that Republicans shouldn't apologize for "the policies that we fought for." Now she has responded to critics of her divided opinions in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.
"The media playbook starts with the demand that everyone pick sides about Donald Trump — either love or hate everything about him," Haley wrote, criticizing news outlets for their reaction to her. "The moment anyone on the right offers the slightest criticism of the 45th president, the media goes berserk: Republicans are trying to have it both ways! It's a calculated strategy to pit conservatives against one another. It's also a ridiculous false choice. Real life is never that simple. Someone can do both good and bad things."
Nikki Haley claimed she wasn't "trying to have it both ways"
Nikki Haley also argued in the Wall Street Journal that while people feel strongly about Donald Trump — the man who promoted her to UN ambassador — they could also see the other side of him.
"People on the left, if they're honest, can find Trump accomplishments they like," the former governor contended. "People on the right can find fault with Trump actions, including on Jan. 6. Right or left, when people make these distinctions, they're not trying to have it both ways. They're using their brains."
She then claimed that choosing to either oppose or support Trump leads people to become polarized, adding that this is good for "the anti-Trump media." Haley went on to insist that she didn't see the former president attack his critics when she worked with him, asserting that Trump "engaged in internal debates, welcomed disagreements, and at times changed his mind." Despite this praise, she admitted that he will be "judged harshly by history" for his post-election actions.
Haley, who is the GOP's current "frontrunner" according to The Hill, was publicly fact-checked two days prior by a historian over her Presidents' Day tweet. As The Independent reported, Haley falsely claimed that George Washington "oversaw the creation of the Constitution" while he was president and that the Continental Army was an "unstoppable force." She also seemed to draw a parallel between Trump and past presidents Washington and Lincoln, writing, "Instead of canceling them, let's celebrate their legacies while admitting their faults."