President Trump asked where Nikki Haley's husband is during a rally in Conway, South Carolina, on Saturday, sparking significant controversy in the media as well as sharp reactions from Haley and her husband.
Trump was talking about how his only remaining rival for the Republican presidential nomination, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley — who was Trump's first ambassador to the United Nations — came to his Palm Beach, Florida, home, Mar-a-Lago, with her husband and parents. She said she would never run against him. Trump then asked several times where Haley's husband concludes his speech with “he knew, he knew,” a possible reference to sworn affidavits alleging Haley had affairs years ago, which were recently published by the Daily Mail.
Haley's husband, Major Michael Haley, is serving a year-long assignment with the South Carolina Army National Guard in the Horn of Africa that began last June.
“…I will never run against him,” Trump said. Then she came to see me at Mar-a-Lago. “Sir, I will never run against you.” She brought her husband. Where is your husband? Oh, he's away. It's far. What happened to her husband? What happened to her husband? where is he? He left! he knows. he knows.”
Trump attacks Nikki Haley's husband: “Where is her husband? What happened to her husband? Where is he? He's gone.” pic.twitter.com/tRslkYmZQk
-Aaron Robar (@atropar) February 10, 2024
Much of the media's response was to attack Trump, falsely accusing him of mocking Michael Haley's service, but the New York Times surprisingly published an accurate headline, “Trump hints that Haley's husband moved to Africa to escape her.”
Trump insinuates that Haley's husband went to Africa to escape her
via @migold And @jazmineulloa https://t.co/TXdn9CCsTc-Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) February 11, 2024
Halle and her husband responded separately on Twitter to Trump. Haley also made statements during a campaign event in South Carolina.
Michael Haley posted on his X Twitter account, likely from a military base in Africa, a graph in which he wrote: “The difference between humans and animals? “Animals will never let the stupidest animals lead the pack” on the image of a wolf. The post was directed at Trump and several media outlets and received more than a million views.
@RealDonaldTrump @the Republican Party @CNN @Fox News @wsjournal @USA Today @nettimes @AP pic.twitter.com/BS6uODv6kr
– Michael Haley (@WMichaelHaley) February 10, 2024
“Michael is committed to serving our country, something you know nothing about,” Nikki Haley wrote. A person who does not consistently respect the sacrifices of military families has no right to be Commander-in-Chief.”
Michael was sent to serve our country, something you know nothing about. A person who does not consistently respect the sacrifices of military families has no right to be Commander in Chief. https://t.co/AfN3u4AsJc
– Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) February 10, 2024
Haley also responded at a small gathering in Gilbert, South Carolina:
“Donald Trump had a rally today. At that gathering, he made fun of my husband's military service. And I will say this: Donald, if you have something to say, don't say it behind my back, get on the debate stage and say it to my face… If you make fun of a veteran's service, you won't. He doesn't deserve a driver's license, let alone be president of the states. United.
Haley: He made fun of my husband's military service. If you have something to say, don't say it behind my back. Get up on the debate stage and say it to my face. If you mock a veteran's service, you don't deserve to have a driver's license, let alone be President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/BVwPIAtZ72
– Asin (@Asin) February 11, 2024
Earlier Saturday, at a Trump rally in South Carolina, veteran Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) told the crowd how President Trump has met and stayed for hours with Gold Star families since the 2021 Afghanistan airport bombing after Joe Biden did not meet them:
Rep. Mike Waltz tells a story about President Trump meeting with Afghan Gold Star families: “None of them could get a meeting with Joe Biden…So you know what we did? We called President Trump…he was scheduled to spend an hour…spend five hours with them… pic.twitter.com/YRsSUgGvCA
— MAGA War Room (@MAGAIncWarRoom) February 10, 2024
Waltz posted a photo in August 2023 when the meeting took place:
Thank you, President Trump, for spending four hours at a roundtable and dinner with the Gold Star families bombing Kabul.
He heard their stories and frustrations over the lack of transparency and vowed to publish everything about the attack.🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/K2hp31coEj
– Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) August 31, 2023
