Haley hits Trump at the border and his 'rants' and says 'he feels threatened'

Nikki Haley excoriated former President Donald J. Trump in an interview on Sunday for his angry reactions to his legal losses and suggested that his pressure on Republicans in Congress not to agree to a border security deal before the election was a purely political ploy.

“The last thing he needs to do is tell them to wait until the election to approve a border deal,” she said on NBC's “Meet the Press” about Trump's efforts to build a bipartisan effort in the Senate. which was gaining more and more strength, to put a stop to it. . “We can't wait another day.”

Ms. Haley also suggested she relied on the conclusions of jurors who found him liable for sexual abuse, but declined to call the verdict disqualifying and said voters should decide.

“I absolutely trust the jury, and I think they made their decision based on the evidence,” Ms. Haley said, referring to the jury that found Mr. Trump liable last year for sexually assaulting the writer E. Jean Carroll . A separate jury concluded last week that he owed Ms. Carroll more than $83 million for defaming her.

But when the show's host, Kristen Welker, pressed Ms. Haley on whether she believed the jury's findings were “disqualifying,” she deflected.

“We don't have to take anything that the American people have a right to do,” she said, adding, “I think the American people will take him off the ballot.” I think this is the best way to move forward, is to not let him play the victim. Let him play the loser.”

Still, Ms. Haley expanded on Trump's reactions to the jury's verdict and sharply criticized his state of mind and fitness for office.

The American people “see that he's completely distracted, they see that he's ranting about how he's a victim, and I think that's exactly why we don't need a strong leader,” Ms. Haley said. “That's not what you want a president to be, but more than that, that's not what we want Russia to see, that's not what we want China to see and that's not what we want Iran to see.”

She framed Trump's racist attacks against her in the same context. Referring to his repeated use and botching of her first name, Nimarata, and his false suggestions that she is ineligible to be president because her parents are from India (Ms. Haley was born in South Carolina), she said: “I laugh every every time I see one of his tweets, every time I see him throwing a tantrum, because I know Donald Trump very well. When he feels insecure, he starts ranting, ranting, waving his arms and getting upset.

“When he feels threatened, he starts throwing out all kinds of things,” she continued. 'I always told him he was his own worst enemy. He is now proving that.”

Ms. Haley also blasted the Republican National Committee for throwing its support behind Mr. Trump before most states had voted. When asked if the RNC had been an “honest broker” in the Republican primaries, she said, “Clearly not,” criticizing committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for saying the party should rally behind Trump after his wins in Iowa and New Hampshire. .

“You can't do that based on just two states,” she said.

Ms. Haley also tried to calibrate expectations for her performance in next month's South Carolina primary, saying she didn't think she needed to win outright, but that she needed to surpass the 43 percent she received in New Hampshire.

“I have to show that I'm building momentum,” she said, adding: “Should that be a win? I don't think this is necessarily a victory. But it certainly has to be better than what I did in New Hampshire, and it certainly has to be close.”