2 months ago
Former President Donald Trump, 77, claimed Wednesday nighttime that he 'purposely' mixed up rival Nikki Haley and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi - successful what has been characterized arsenic 1 of nan ex-president's ain elder moments.
Trump's original gaffe came erstwhile he was campaigning in New Hampshire past month, utilizing Haley's sanction alternatively of Pelosi's arsenic he based on nan Democratic speaker should beryllium held much responsible for what happened astatine nan Capitol connected January 6.
Now, arsenic he battles Haley successful her location authorities of South Carolina - telling a raucous crowd successful North Charleston she 'gets angrier, crazier' arsenic nan GOP superior title drags connected - Trump pushed backmost connected his main rival's assertion that he's mislaid a step.
'When I interpose - because I'm not a Nikki instrumentality and I'm not a Pelosi instrumentality - and erstwhile I purposely interpose names, they said I didn't cognize Pelosi from Nikki, from tricky Nikki, tricky Nikki, he didn't know,' Trump said. 'I interpose and they make a large woody retired of it, I said, "No, nary I deliberation they some stink, they person thing successful common, they some stink."'
'And retrieve this, erstwhile I make a connection for illustration that astir Nikki that intends she will ne'er beryllium moving for vice president,' nan ex-president added to cheers.
Former President Donald Trump claimed astatine his Wednesday nighttime rally successful North Charleston, South Carolina that he intentionally confused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and rival Nikki Haley - a gaffe utilized by his rivals to show he's mislaid a step
Nikki Haley, photographed campaigning successful her location authorities of South Carolina connected Tuesday, has pointed to Trump mixing her up pinch House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arsenic she tried to make nan lawsuit for generational activity successful nan Republican Party
During nan Wednesday nighttime rally, Trump besides continued to declare he purposely subbed successful President Barack Obama's sanction for Biden's, blaming nan 'dishonest people' successful nan media and complaining it's 'very difficult to beryllium sarcastic.'
'When I opportunity Barack Hussein Obama is nan president of nan United States - meaning, location is simply a batch of power there, because nan 1 feline can't put 2 sentences together. So I opportunity Barack Hussein Obama,' Trump explained.
Both Haley, 52, and President Joe Biden's campaign, person pointed retired Trump's caller flubs - arsenic she's agelong based on nan state is fresh for a caller procreation of activity and arsenic Biden's squad tries to mitigate nan issues surrounding nan 81-year-old president's age.
'It's nan aforesaid book each time: Donald Trump says thing unhinged, faces backlash, and scrambles to cleanable up his messiness pinch a soiled mop,' Haley spokesperson AnnMarie Graham-Barnes said Wednesday reacting to Trump's rally performance. 'Seventy percent of Americans don't want Joe Biden's forgetfulness aliases Trump's perpetual chaos machine.'
Trump lashed retired astatine some Haley and Biden during nan Wednesday nighttime rally, and was particularly enraged astatine comparisons being made betwixt nan president and him.
He said that Haley's numbers were 'tanking,' arsenic Trump continues to clasp a 36-point lead successful nan erstwhile U.N. ambassador and governor's location state.
'Her numbers are going down, arsenic she gets angrier, crazier and suffers deeper, deeper scars from Trump Derangement Syndrome,' nan ex-president said. 'Nikki has gone truthful acold near because of her Democrat donors,' Trump besides charged.
He knocked astir his rival for 'going aft nan Republican Party,' and publication erstwhile quotes she said astir him, including that he 'was wished to protect our military.'
In caller days, Haley has pointed to comments Trump made astir her husband - a servicemember who's deployed - and erstwhile disparaging remarks he's reportedly said astir subject members successful an effort to portion distant immoderate of his support.
Trump besides tried linking Haley to Republican Sen. Mitt Romney - nan apical anti-Trump lawmaker successful nan Senate - and to Obama during his Wednesday nighttime speech.
'Nikki is besides governmental champion friends pinch a feline named Mitt Romney,' Trump said, earning boos from nan crowd. 'He's been tally retired of office, essentially, retrieve he was pinch a disguise moving down Pennsylvania Avenue pinch Antifa.'
Trump was apt referencing Romney's information successful a Black Lives Matter protestation successful June 2020 and later his determination not to tally for reelection successful nan Senate.
'And she earnestly thought astir supporting a man whose sanction is Barack Hussein Obama,' Trump said of Haley, getting much boos. 'And she decided to spell pinch Romney instead.'
In 2012, Haley - past politician of South Carolina - was captious of Romney for being excessively liberal, with 1 Politico story noting that she seemed to beryllium leaning toward supporting erstwhile Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's statesmanlike bid.
'That's each we person to cognize astir her,' Trump went on. 'Don't want to discarded a batch of clip connected her because we person much important subjects,' he said, seguing to 'Biden and his thugs' calling them 'desperate.'
'Did you spot this feline connected tv today? He's for illustration a crazed lunatic. Round eyes. The eyes are each information arsenic hell. But I cognize he didn't person immoderate integrative room ... nan eyes are round. Foreign leaders look astatine him and they say, you've gotta beryllium kidding,' Trump said.
It was unclear precisely whom Trump was referring to, though Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan appeared astatine Wednesday's White House property briefing.
Biden, himself, concisely appeared connected nan North Lawn to study Valentine's Day decorations alongside first woman Jill Biden.
Trump besides repeated nan declare that he didn't judge Biden would extremity up being nan Democrats' nominee.
'Personally I don't deliberation he makes it to nan starting gate,' Trump said. 'I dislike erstwhile they comparison him to me. He's old, he's broken, he's incompetent, but let's besides talk astir Trump.'
South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace - who sought Haley's thief erstwhile Trump backed her superior force successful 2022 - precocious endorsed nan ex-president and appeared astatine his North Charleston rally Wednesday night
Sen. Tim Scott, who Haley had appointed to nan Senate, referenced his caller engagement erstwhile he came onstage Wednesday night, but told nan crowd that he explained to his fiancee that connected this Valentine's Day he needed to present nan 'next president of nan United States'
'You know, I guidelines up here, I make these speeches, each nan time, each nan time, we person nan biggest crowds successful history,' Trump boasted. 'If I didn't person it, you'd cognize earlier anybody.'
During nan rally, Trump besides doubled down connected his controversial comments astir not defending NATO friends against Russia if they didn't meet spending targets.
'Look, if they’re not going to pay, we're not going to protect. OK?' Trump said.
The ex-president besides tried distancing himself from erstwhile praise he made of Russian President Vladimir Putin, pointing to nan leader's eyebrow-raising endorsement of Biden that came earlier Wedneday.
'Putin is not a instrumentality of mine,' Trump said successful North Charleston.
As his opening act, Trump had some South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace - who asked for Haley's thief to triumph reelection aft Trump backed her GOP force - and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who Haley appointed to nan precocious chamber.
'We've travel a agelong way, we've travel a agelong way,' Trump chuckled erstwhile he gave a hat-tip to Mace from nan podium.
The congresswoman, who has butt heads pinch Trump successful nan past, had been initially greeted by a bid of cheers and boos.
Scott, who reportedly is being considered for Trump's vice statesmanlike pick, opened nan rally by referencing his caller engagement.
'As ya'll astir apt remember, I've precocious sewage engaged. And coming is Valentine's Day. But I told my fiancee I person a chance to present nan adjacent president of nan United States,' Scott said to cheers.
