Trump Calls Nikki Haley ‘Weak’ After She Criticizes His Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump waves to news photographers as he takes a break from greeting supporters at rally in Biloxi, Miss., Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) “very weak” on immigration Wednesday, the morning after she took a veiled shot at his anti-immigrant rhetoric.

Haley criticized some Republicans’ hardline stance on immigration as she delivered the GOP response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address. She clarified in an interview Wednesday that she was specifically referring to Trump.

“Mr. Trump has definitely contributed to what I think is just irresponsible talk,” she said on NBC’s “Today.”

Trump responded to Haley during an interview on “Fox & Friends” and suggested that she was not under consideration to be his running mate.

“I respond a couple of ways. Number one, she’s very weak on illegal immigration. I’ve known that for a long time. But she’s weak on illegal immigration,” Trump said. “And she certainly has no trouble asking me for campaign contributions. Because over the years, she’s asked me for a hell of a lot of money in campaign contributions. So it’s sort of interesting to hear her.”

By way of clarifying what he meant by “weak on immigration,” Trump said: “I feel very strongly about illegal immigration. She doesn’t.”

President Obama also took multiple thinly-veiled swings at Trump during his address Tuesday.

Latest Livewire
47
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. Pretty low-energy response there, Donald. Is the campaign tiring you out? Are you losing stamina in your old age?

  2. Avatar for mantan mantan says:

    (yawn!!!) The old guy’s starting to be a live rerun…

  3. Awww, somebody was mean to widdle Donny again and now he’s cwying! Dry those tears, widdle Donnie. Daddy’s money will buy you an ice cream cone and make it all better.

  4. Yes, because name calling is a sign of strength…

  5. There’s a widening split between the crazy and the criminally insane.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

41 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for pluckyinky Avatar for ajaykalra Avatar for srfromgr Avatar for sysprog Avatar for ncsteve Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for clunkertruck Avatar for observeer99 Avatar for rudesan Avatar for teenlaqueefa Avatar for impurescience Avatar for mrcomments Avatar for mantan Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for joelopines Avatar for geofu54 Avatar for dickweed Avatar for darrtown Avatar for cincypix Avatar for emilianoelmexicano Avatar for kleah51 Avatar for gajake Avatar for lynnthedem

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: