Haley says Trump's court cases should be "dealt with" before November election
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Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event on Feb. 29 in Richmond, Va. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley said in a new interview that all of former President Trump's court cases should be "dealt with" before voters go to the polls in November.
Why it matters: The timelines for the Republican frontrunner's cases, which include a historic 91 criminal counts, could extend beyond the election, meaning voters wouldn't know the outcomes before casting ballots.
- "After that, should he become president, I don't think any of it is going to get heard," Haley said Thursday in an NBC News interview with "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker.
- The timelines in the unprecedented criminal cases have also sparked questions over whether Trump could pardon himself should he win again.
The big picture: Voters will want to know the status of Trump's cases before casting their ballots, Haley said.
- "A president has to live under laws too," she said.
Catch up quick: The Supreme Court agreed this week to weigh whether Trump is immune from prosecution in the case involving his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
- As a result, a trial is unlikely to begin or end before Election Day.
- "When are you going to give this verdict?" Haley said, referring to the Supreme Court. "What does that mean for people who have voted? And are they going to have full answers before the general election?"
The latest: Meanwhile, in Trump's classified documents case, special counsel Jack Smith has requested a July 8 trial start date.
- Trump's legal team has tried to push the proceedings until after the election, but proposed Aug. 12 as an alternative.
- Haley, referring to both Trump and President Biden, said Thursday that "everybody that works in the foreign service in any sort of security situation knows you can't sloppily handle that classified information or people will get hurt."
- Special counsel Robert Hur did not bring charges against Biden in an investigation of his handling of classified documents, but said his actions presented "serious risks to national security."
Ahead of Super Tuesday, Haley said she "excited" and hoping for a competitive showing.
- Most Americans want different frontrunner candidates for president, according to polling data.
- "Everybody wants to get back to a normal country," Haley said. "They want to go and have a new generational leader."
Go deeper: "Suicide for our country": Nikki Haley goes scorched earth on Trump
