'The media needs to stop protecting Biden,' Haley wrote on X
Nikki Haley called out ABC host George Stephanopoulos on Friday after the two clashed over Joe Biden's ability to finish his White House term, saying "everyone in America can see" the president was in "decline."
"Sorry @GStephanopoulos, everyone in America can see Joe Biden’s decline and have concerns about his ability to serve a second term," the GOP presidential candidate posted on X. "They know a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris. The media needs to stop protecting Biden and tell America the truth."
Sorry @GStephanopoulos, everyone in America can see Joe Biden’s decline and have concerns about his ability to serve a second term.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) August 25, 2023
They know a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris.
The media needs to stop protecting Biden and tell America the truth. pic.twitter.com/6UZ8sxnrpB
Haley hasn't been shy about pushing the media to do a better job in her view. At Wednesday's first Republican primary debate, she implored the press to corner Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on if they favored any limitation at all on abortion access.
Haley, one of the younger candidates in the presidential race at 51 years old, has made age an issue in the campaign, saying in April that Biden was unlikely to finish out a second term since he'd turn 86 in 2028.
Stephanopoulos, a former Clinton White House aide, grew impatient with Haley during their interview Thursday on "Good Morning America" when she made similar remarks. Haley had raised her hand to say she'd support former President Trump as the GOP nominee even if he was convicted of a crime, and Stephanopoulos asked her to justify her view.
GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley clashed with George Stephanopoulos on Thursday about President Biden's viability. (Screenshot/ABC/GoodMorningAmerica)
Haley said she wouldn't be comfortable with a "President Kamala Harris," suggesting voting for Biden would essentially guarantee Harris would become president when he didn't finish his term. Stephanopoulos noted she was actually running against Biden before repeating the same question.
"Well, first of all, a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris," Haley said. "You know that and I know that. There’s no way Joe Biden is going to finish his term. I think Kamala Harris would become the next president and that should send a chill up every American’s spine."
"Excuse me, excuse me one second," Stephanopoulos interrupted. "How do you know that Joe Biden is not going to finish his term? What is that based on?"
"Do you think he’s going to finish his term? Do you think that he’s actually going to finish what he started?" she replied. "We look at the decline he’s had over the last few years. You have to be honest with the American people, George. There’s no way Joe Biden’s going to finish out a next term. We can’t have an 81-year-old president. We have to have a new generational leader. The Senate has become the most privileged nursing home in the country. We have got to start making sure we have a new generation."
Nikki Haley has made President Biden's age an issue in her GOP primary candidacy. (Fox News)
Haley has pitched herself as a next-generation candidate, given Biden and Trump are 80 and 77, respectively.
Haley's age made media headlines already this year after CNN host Don Lemon – who is five years older than her – remarked she was not "in her prime." Lemon later apologized for the sexist remark, but the internal uproar over his comments helped contribute to his eventual firing in April.
Fox News' Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.
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