Trump Says He’s Glad Haley’s Running Against Him in 2024

President Donald Trump meets with Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, in the Oval Office of the White House on Oct. 9, 2018. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump, who is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, welcomed Nikki Haley’s decision to join the 2024 Republican presidential race after he criticized her record in his initial response.

In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Trump said “I’m glad she’s running.”

“I want her to follow her heart—even though she made a commitment that she would never run against who she called the greatest president of her lifetime,” Trump told Fox News. His comment appeared to reference the fact that Haley had previously said she would not run for the 2024 Republican nomination if Trump was also running.

In their initial reaction to Haley’s campaign announcement, the Trump campaign released a statement titled “The Real Nikki Haley,” which referred to Haley’s prior commitment not to run against Trump as a “flip flop.”

Trump continued to reference that change of tune during his Fox News interview later on Wednesday.

“She should do what she wants to do and not be bound by the fact that she said she would never do it,” Trump said.

‘The More The Merrier’

Thus far, Haley is the only Republican who has officially announced a bid to run against Trump in the 2024 primary.

Trump said he didn’t mind primary challenges from Haley or other prominent Republican figures, like former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, or South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.

“The more the merrier,” Trump said. “I know them all. I put them all there.”

Like Pence and Pompeo, Haley served in the Trump administration as ambassador to the United Nations. Trump also campaigned on behalf of DeSantis and Noem in their respective 2018 elections.

“Politics is a strange bedfellow,” Trump said of his relation. “Most of them would be nothing without me, but I want them to do what they want to do. They will tell you we had the most successful presidency, perhaps, ever. But these are very ambitious people and I understand exactly where they’re coming from.”

Several polls have shown Trump ahead in potential 2024 primary matchups against DeSantis, Pence, and Haley. Other recent polls have shown DeSantis with a lead over Trump.

A crowded primary field could potentially benefit Trump even if he is unable to secure the support of a majority of Republican primary voters. If enough Trump voters stick with the former president, he could gain a plurality of the support while other Republican candidates divide up the remaining GOP voters.

Trump and Haley

When Haley initially said she would not run against Trump in 2024, she described having a positive working relationship with Trump and said President Joe Biden’s administration had united Republicans in opposition.

Although Trump welcomed Haley’s entry into the 2024 race, he accused his former U.N. ambassador of having a weak record.

In his Wednesday campaign statement, Trump said Haley “is weak on immigration and does not support a border wall.” Trump’s call for a border wall was a high-profile component of his 2016 campaign and his presidency and Republicans have continued to raise border security concerns under Biden.

During a campaign rally on Wednesday, Haley said, “In the America I see, we stop the surge of drugs and illegal immigration. That means having a real border and mandatory E-Verify, like we got done in South Carolina.”

Another issue that Trump raised in his campaign statement was the fact that Haley did not support a 2016 bill in her state that would have required public restrooms and school bathrooms to accommodate people according to their biological sex.

The issue of transgender accommodations has continued to grow since Haley’s time as South Carolina governor. Other states with Republican governors and Republican state legislative majorities have passed laws requiring public schools to provide bathrooms that accommodate students based on their biological sex.

Haley did not directly address Trump’s criticism during her Wednesday campaign rally, but offered “a particular message for my fellow Republicans.”

“We’ve lost the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections. Our cause is right, but we have failed to win the confidence of a majority of Americans,” Haley said. “Well, that ends today.”

From NTD News