Former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley criticized former US president Donald Trump on Saturday for mocking the absence of Haley's husband, who is currently deployed overseas.
Haley and Trump are the only two major candidates left in the Republican presidential primaries.
“Where’s her husband? Oh, he’s away. … What happened to her husband? Where is he? He’s gone,” Trump said at a rally in South Carolina, the state that Haley formerly governed and that will have its Republican primaries in two weeks.
Trump's Republican primary challenger fired back on X, saying "Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about. Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief."
Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about. Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief. https://t.co/AfN3u4AsJc
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) February 10, 2024
Haley's husband, Michael, responded to Trump on X with a meme with the caption: "The difference between humans and animals? Animals would never allow the dumbest ones to lead the pack." He is currently serving in a voluntary deployment in Africa, US media reported.
Trump hoped Haley would be replaced as South Carolina governor
Trump also said that he didn't appoint Haley as US Ambassador to the UN while he was president because he wanted to, but so that she would be replaced as South Carolina's governor by her successor, Henry McMaster, who is currently governor of the state. McMaster endorsed Trump shortly after he began his 2024 campaign, The New York Times reported.
"I wanted to take your Lieutenant Governor and make him Governor. That's what I wanted," Trump admitted.