Why Nikki Haley says she's backing Trump
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Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina, during the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Former UN ambassador and 2024 GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley said Sunday she is supporting former President Trump because of his policies — even though there are some she doesn't agree with.
Why it matters: Haley became increasingly critical of Trump while running her own presidential campaign, slamming him as "unhinged" and "toxic." While she still disagrees with his "style," Haley said she would vote for Trump in May and endorsed him during the Republican National Convention.
- Despite their campaign trail clashes, Haley was briefly rumored to be considered as a potential running mate for the now-GOP nominee, though Trump nixed the rumblings.
Driving the news: In an interview aired Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation," Haley said she is "on standby" to campaign for Trump but has not been asked to thus far.
- She added that while she's "happy to be helpful," she has not advised him on his campaign strategy or on debate preparation.
Zoom in: Asked about a recent press conference in which the former president denied and mocked sexual assault allegations against him — and scarcely mentioned the upcoming election — Haley replied: "I think the focus for me is on policy."
- Haley continued, "I've always said, look, if I thought Biden or Trump were great candidates, I wouldn't have run for president; I ran because I thought I could do a better job."
- Pressed by CBS News' Margaret Brennan on whether Trump was a "good candidate," Haley answered, "I think he is the Republican nominee," adding she believes "it's not a question" to support him over Vice President Kamala Harris.
- "Do I agree with his style? Do I agree with his approach? Do I agree with his communications? No," she continued. "When I look at the policies and how they affect my family and how I think they're going to affect the country, that's where I go back, and I look at the differences."
State of play: Asked what specific childcare policies of Trump's she supported, Haley said, "What I liked were the tax cuts that he had that Kamala wants to remove."
- She contended that while she does not "oppose" an expanded child care tax credit, which both tickets have signaled they support, she believes a credit picks "winners and losers." Haley said she would instead like to see middle-class tax cuts.
- On Trump's recent pledge that the cost of in vitro fertilization would be covered by the government or insurance companies, Haley said, "It's not a policy I support any more than it's a policy of Kamala Harris to remove private health insurance or Medicare for All."
Go deeper: Trump "sure" Nikki Haley will be on his team "in some form"
