Haley Refuses To Answer Why Voters Should Pick Her Over Trump

Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley refused to tell Americans how she will be different from former President Donald Trump, her chief rival in the GOP primary for president.

During an appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” Haley dodged the question about why a Republican voter should choose her over Trump — deflecting by saying that she is focused on defeating President Joe Biden.

“I don’t focus on President Trump,” she said. “It’s amazing that the media wants to talk about that so much. I am focused on Joe Biden.”

While the final goal for a Republican presidential candidate should be to defeat their Democrat rival, the fact is that Haley will be running in a GOP primary in which she will need to win over Republican voters — many of whom are still loyal to Trump. If she plans to run on the same platform as Trump — her former boss — critics have argued that there is little reason to choose her over the more popular candidate.

Despite dodging the question, Haley did touch on the issue during the interview, claiming: “I think we need new energy going in. I think we need to leave the status quo of the past and start looking ahead.”

While many Americans believe there is a need for fresh faces in the political arena, it is hard to see how Haley would be a new candidate, considering her previous position as South Carolina governor and her work as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under the Trump administration. It is also difficult for many to put Trump in that category, as he has no history of working in politics other than his four years as president — unlike many longtime politicians that Americans have expressed frustration with, such as Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Fox News host Shannon Bream attempted to press Haley to answer the question, but she continued to make vague statements avoiding a direct answer.

Bream cited an article from the Wall Street Journal editorial board published last week, which stated that Haley had a “great” campaign rollout — but argued that she has not yet provided voters with a rationale for her candidacy that makes her stand out from her potential rivals, including Trump, who already announced his 2024 campaign.

The Fox News host subsequently asked Haley, “Why you?”

She responded by asking “Why not me?” and delving into her personal story — including standard campaign answers about her belief in term limits, fighting “woke education” and addressing the “socialism” and “defeatism” that she asserted have taken root in American culture.

Thus far, Haley and Trump are the only two Republicans who have announced their candidacy for 2024, with Trump announcing first back in November.

According to The Hill, the former president has criticized Haley for going back on her previous promise that she would not run for president if Trump had entered the 2024 race.

“I would not run if President Trump ran,” she said two years ago. “And I would talk to him about it. That is something that we’ll have a conversation about at some point if that decision is something that has to be made.”

However, Trump has since welcomed the competition, saying “the more the merrier” in regard to Haley’s candidacy.

Her decision to run may even benefit Trump, according to experts. Newsmax reports: “Most experts agree that the wider the GOP primary field for the 2024 presidency, the more difficult it will be for a candidate to defeat Trump.”

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