Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, speak at an event. Photo: Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley called President Biden "the most condescending president of my lifetime" after his prime-time speech last week.
Why it matters: Haley is a potential Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential race, which would put her in direct competition with President Biden if he ends up running for a second term.
Driving the news: Haley criticized Biden's speech, and its optics, in an interview with Fox News on Friday.
- "It was one of the most unbelievable things I've seen in a long time. He looked like he was in the depths of hell," Haley said during an interview on Fox News' "America Reports."
- "He's got military officers behind him, which I hate that they even had to sit behind him as he was talking about how half the country are basically domestic terrorists," she said of Biden's speech.
Flashback: Haley tweeted Thursday, after the president's speech, that Biden was "the most condescending president of my lifetime."
- "He’s done nothing to unite the nation. Nothing to bring healing. Nothing to alleviate the pain millions of Americans feel everyday.
- "He’s been a divider in chief and come November he must hear from all of us."
Catch up quick: Biden criticized former President Trump and "MAGA forces" in a speech Thursday night, speaking outside Philadelphia's Independence Hall.
- The remarks were delivered amid glowing red lights with military members standing behind him.
The big picture: Biden's speech put former President Trump and his supporters in the spotlight. Democrats' decision to turn the midterm elections into a referendum on Trump could help their chances this fall, Axios' Shawna Chen writes.
Go deeper: Trump and "MAGA forces" represent extremism, Biden says in prime-time speech