Former United Nations (U.N.) Ambassador Nikki Haley is already facing criticism from conservative Republicans over her 2024 presidential campaign.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who has labeled herself the “leading MAGA voice in Congress,” took to Twitter to knock Haley’s campaign.
“Nikki Haley is just another George (or Jeb!) Bush,” Greene wrote. “She is weak on the border, doesn’t want a wall, claimed ‘Legal Immigrants are more patriotic than most Americans these days,’ and she defended Obama when Pres. Trump criticized his terrible open-borders policy.”
She continued, “And Nikki Haley refused to support a transgender bathroom bill to protect children.”
The congresswoman also threw out a three-word nickname for Haley as she wrote, “If we wanted a ‘Bush in heels,’ Republicans would vote for Liz Cheney.”
Nikki Haley is just another George (or Jeb!) Bush.
— Marjorie Taylor Greene
She is weak on the border, doesn’t want a wall, claimed "Legal Immigrants are more patriotic than most Americans these days,” and she defended Obama when Pres. Trump criticized his terrible open-borders policy.
And Nikki…(@mtgreenee) February 15, 2023
Her tweet comes hours after the U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina governor announced her campaign.
“We’re ready to move past the stale ideas and faded names of the past, and we are more than ready for a new generation to lead us into the future,” Haley said during her campaign event.
Former President Donald Trump also responded to the new competition for the Republican presidential primary with what appeared to be a swipe at her performance as governor.
In a post on his Truth Social, he wrote, “The greatest thing Nikki Haley did for our Country, and the Great State of South Carolina, was accepting the position of United Nations Ambassador so that the incredible then Lieutenant Governor, Henry McMaster, could be Governor of South Carolina, where he has done an absolutely fantastic job.”
“That was a big reason why I appointed Nikki to the position—It was a favor to the people I love in South Carolina!” he added.
In a separate post, Trump said, “Nikki Haley had a hard time making the decision to run for President because she very publicly stated that she ‘would never run against the President. He did a GREAT JOB, and was the best President in my lifetime.'”
“I told Nikki to follow her heart, not her ambition or belief. Who knows, stranger things have happened. She’s polling at 1%, not a bad start!!!” he added.
In 2021, Haley said she would not run if Trump ran for president in 2024. However, Trump has said he is “glad she’s running,” and, “The more [candidates], the merrier.”
A Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted Feb. 6-13, found Haley garnering 4% in a multi-candidate field for the primary. Trump received 43%, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) received 31%.
