Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley on Sunday’s broadcast of CBS’s “Face the Nation” said if she thought fomer Presdent Donald Trump was a “great” candidate she would not have run for president.
Partial transcript as follows:
MARGARET BRENNAN: You said you’re on standby. In other words, you haven’t been asked to campaign. Are you advising at all on his debate preparation or speaking to the campaign?
HALEY: I’m not and you know, that’s his choice. He can, you know, whatever he decides to do with his campaign, he can do that. But when I called him back in June, I told him I was supportive. I think the teams have talked to each other a little bit, but there hasn’t been an ask as of yet. But you know, should he ask, I’m happy to be helpful.
BRENNAN: So the things you rattled off are specific policy issues. Right here in New York. Donald Trump just finished a press conference, three-quarters of which was about grievances related to that past conviction related to alleged sexual assault. I know when you were campaigning, you said you had no reason really to question the findings of the jury related to the defamation case brought by E. Jean Carroll. I’m not asking you about the specifics of the case, but if that’s the focus of a press conference for a presidential candidate, a, is it the best use of his time and what is the message to female voters to be going through this again?
HALEY: Well, I think the focus for me is on policy. You know, I think I’ve always–
BRENNAN: But, he’s the candidate.
AMB. HALEY: No, and I’ve always said, look, if I thought Biden or Trump were great candidates, I wouldn’t have run for president. I ran because I thought I could do a better job.
RENNAN: You don’t think he’s a good candidate.
HALEY: I think he is the Republican nominee, and I think put him against Kamala Harris, who’s the Democrat nominee. For me, it’s not a question. Now, do I agree with his style? Do I agree with his approach? Do I agree with his communications? No. 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. You look at Kamala Harris, and it’s quite remarkable. She never had a debate, she never had a primary, she never had anyone vote for her, and they basically took her, and in 48 hours, they put her back out there, and she was this whole new candidate. But the reality is, she has a record. The administration has a record. Trump has a record. And so neither are perfect, neither are ideal, but when I look at which one, I don’t agree with Trump on everything, but I agree with him on a lot of the policies. I don’t know that I agree with Harris on many policies at all. And so I think when women go to vote, they’re going to look at how does this affect my family? How does this affect our finances? How does this affect safety and national security, and which do we choose from? And so as a voter, the one I went with is with Trump, because I know that I’ve seen what his policies do. I know our economy was better under Trump. I know our national security was better under Trump. I know that our energy was dominant under Trump, and I know that if we want to look at how we’re going to get that back on track, I think he’s probably the best candidate we have to do it well.
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