Nikki Haley: ‘Kamala Harris didn’t get this far just by accident’

Reminding Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance that Kamala Harris didn’t get this far just by accident, Nikki Haley asked them to change the way they speak about women and focus instead on policy positions.

“You don’t need to call Kamala dumb. She didn’t get this far, you know, just by accident. … She’s a prosecutor,” Haley told Fox News Monday. “You don’t need to go and talk about intelligence or looks or anything else. Just focus on the policies.”

Asked why she thinks Democratic presidential candidate Harris has a 14-point lead in the gender gap among women,” former Indian American presidential aspirant said, “I think it’s because Donald Trump and JD Vance need to change the way they speak about women.”

READ: Nikki Haley asks ‘Haley Voters for Harris’ to stop using (July 24, 2024)

Haley, the first Indian American to get a Cabinet position as ambassador to UN under Trump said that when Republicans call Democratic women “dumb,” “Republican women get their backs up, too.”

“The bottom line is, we win on policies,” she added. “Stick to the policies, leave all the other stuff. That’s how he can win.”

Trump has been targeting the Vice President with ad hominem attacks since she entered the race after President Joe Biden dropped out. Speaking to a New Hampshire-focused podcast last week, Trump said Harris is “not smart enough.”

“Something’s wrong,” Trump said. “There’s something wrong, but we can’t go another four years with a dumb president. We can’t do it. We had four years with a president that should never have been there, and we can’t have it.”

READ: Kamala Harris wins enough delegates to win Democratic nod (July 23, 2024)

Even though she said this year when she exited the GOP presidential primary race that she wouldn’t endorse Trump, Haley expressed strong support for him in remarks at the Republican National Convention in July. Since she backed Trump, however, Haley hasn’t shied away from criticizing the former president.

Haley said in an interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that aired Sunday that she doesn’t agree with Trump’s style or communications strategy but that “it’s not a question” of whether she would support him over Harris because of his policies.

“Now, do I agree with his style? Do I agree with his approach? Do I agree with his communications? No,” Haley said. “When I look at the policies and how they affect my family and how I think they’re going to affect the country, that’s where I go back and I look at the differences. I mean this is — these are the candidates we have been given.”

She added later, referring to comments made by Vance, “No, it is not helpful to talk about whether women have children or whether they don’t.”

READ: Indian American bodies endorse Kamala Harris for President (July 22, 2024)

Haley also said in describing both nominees: “Neither are perfect. Neither are ideal.”

Meanwhile, Haley kicked off her new communications job as Vice Chair at prestigious PR firm Edelman by mocking conservative pundit Lauren Chen, who was implicated last week in a Justice Department indictment on a massive Russian disinformation scheme.

A company Chen co-founded, Tenet Media, was found to have been funded by Russia as part of “a scheme to create and distribute content to US audiences with hidden Russian government messaging.” And just a few days after the indictment, Tenet Media shuttered its doors.

“Karma’s a bitch,” Haley posted on X, quoting a Chen post from 2023 where the pundit said Haley “should move to Ukraine and run for its presidency then,” referencing Haley stating her support for Ukraine at a CNN town hall.

“Nikki Haley @NikkiHaley: Karma’s a bitch, @TheLaurenChen Quote tweet: Lauren Chen @TheLaurenChen June 4, 2023 .@NikkiHaley should move to Ukraine and run for its presidency then. Spare us the America Last Neocon talking points,” she posted.