Nikki Haley recently talked about former President Donald Trump.
Nikki Haley opens up on Donald Trump
She stated that she “didn’t ask” for a blessing when she spoke to Trump before announcing her 2024 White House bid this week.
Haley also went after Trump’s age, appearing to see it as his biggest weakness.
“I told him that I thought that we needed to go in a new direction,” she told Craig Melvin of their phone conversation during an interview airing in full Feb. 16 on TODAY.
In her February 14 video announcing her candidacy, the former South Carolina governor called for a “new generation” of leadership to strengthen national pride. Haley, who served in Trump’s administration as a U.S. ambassador to the United Nation, is the first major GOP candidate to challenge Trump.
In response to her bid, Trump said that Haley once called him “the best president in my lifetime” but wishes her luck. He also cited Haley’s previous commitment to not run against him in 2024.
In her interview with Craig, Haley noted her comments were a reflection of a different time for the country.
“When I first said I wouldn’t run against him, Afghanistan hadn’t fallen,” she said. “We didn’t see the rise in inflation, we didn’t see what was happening in our schools where it was, and we didn’t see the results of the midterms that we just had.”
“It is time for a new generation of leaders,” she added. “You shouldn’t have to be 80 years old to get to Washington. We’ve got to start righting the ship. We need new blood, we need new leadership because we have some serious challenges.”
