Sep 3, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Nikki Haley: Biden's speech out of "the depths of hell"

Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations, speaks on Saturday.

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

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