- Haley criticized Trump for questioning her husband’s whereabouts while he’s deployed on active duty.
- She said that anyone who mocks the service of a combat veteran is not fit to be president.
- The exchange comes as Haley and Trump fight to secure the GOP primary nomination in South Carolina.
GOP presidential primary candidate Nikki Haley slammed former President Donald Trump after he questioned where her husband, who is currently on active duty deployment, was.
At a Saturday rally in Conway, South Carolina, Trump mockingly asked: “Where’s her husband? Oh, he’s away. He’s away. What happened to her husband? What happened to her husband? Where is he? He’s gone.”
“He knew. He knew,” Trump mysteriously added.
Some have interpreted Trump’s prodding questions as a veiled jab at the state of the couple’s marriage.
Michael Haley, a South Carolina Army National Guard major, has been in the Horn of Africa on deployment since June of last year.
The former South Carolina governor slammed Trump for his comments at a separate rally in Gilbert, South Carolina.
“I need to start with the fact that Donald Trump had a rally today, and in that rally, he mocked my husband’s military service,” she said.
“I have long talked about the fact that we need to have mental competency tests for anyone over the age of 75. Donald Trump claims that he would pass that — maybe he would, maybe he wouldn’t. But if you mock the service of a combat veteran, you don’t deserve a driver’s license, let alone being President of the United States.”
Haley doubled down on her criticisms of the former president on X, adding: “Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about.”
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 has previously said she is “so proud” of her husband’s service and joked that his deployments tend to come at “really interesting times.”
Trump is known to have avoided the military draft five times, once because of bone spurs in is heels and four times for college.
He has often been criticized for his comments disparaging veterans.
Haley’s husband also responded with a post on X, posting a photo of a wolf with the words: “The difference between humans and animals? Animals would never allow the dumbest ones to lead the pack.”
The war of words comes as Trump seeks to beat Haley in her home state in the upcoming GOP primary.
Haley has also ramped up her attacks on Trump, particularly sharpening her focus on his age and cognitive abilities.
Trump holds a large lead in the polls over Haley in South Carolina, and the future of her campaign could be at risk if she suffers a major loss in the state.
