Presidential candidate Nikki Haley made it clear ahead of former President Donald Trump’s Thursday arraignment that he “didn’t attack the Capitol,” adding that it is not a crime to say that the election was stolen.
The former South Carolina governor made the remarks during an appearance on the Good Morning New Hampshire with Jack Heath radio show.
“I’ve also said that Donald Trump bears some responsibility for what happened. But Trump didn’t attack the Capitol. It’s not a crime to say that you think an election was stolen. He should not be prosecuted for that,” she said, although she maintained that Trump “bears some responsibility for what happened.”
Haley also expressed that she is now disillusioned by the flurry of prosecutions lodged against the former president, who is also her competitor.
“Unlike the other candidates, I didn’t rush out with a statement yesterday on Trump’s indictment for one simple reason: Like most Americans, I’m tired of commenting on every Trump drama,” she remarked. “I’ve lost track of whether this indictment is the third or fourth or the fifth.”
“We should be focusing on how to stop China,” she continued. “We should be focusing on how to close the border. We need to be reversing Bidenomics. Putting a 77-year-old former president in prison doesn’t do any of that. We’ve got to move on already.”
Haley reiterated that the Justice Department has become “way too political,” essentially “letting Biden off” and continually targeting Trump.
“And I think that’s the reason we need to talk about it. So, I hope that’s what we’re talking about when we think about how we go forward. We need to get our country back on track. That’s the focus,” she added.
More Haley: "Unlike the other candidates, I didn't rush out with a statement yesterday on Trump's indictment for one simple reason: Like most Americans, I'm tired of commenting on every Trump drama. I've lost track of whether this indictment is the third or fourth or the fifth."
— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) August 3, 2023
Haley’s remarks should not come as a surprise, as she stated last month that she believed Trump’s legal issues were distracting from the issues at hand in the Republican primary.
“It is going to keep on going. I mean, the rest of this primary election is gonna be in reference to Trump. It’s gonna be about lawsuits; it’s gonna be about legal fees; it’s gonna be about judges, and it’s just gonna continue to be a further and further distraction. And that’s why I’m running,” Haley said during an appearance on America’s Newsroom.
“It’s because we need a new generational leader. We can’t keep dealing with this drama. We can’t keep dealing with the negativity. We can’t keep dealing with all of this,” she continued.
That same month, Haley suggested she would consider pardoning Trump if she were president and he was found guilty.
Fellow competitor Vivek Ramaswamy also released a statement ahead of Trump’s arraignment, demanding the government be truthful with the American people about a range of issues, including the “flurry of prosecutions” against Trump.
The reason the people don’t trust the government is that the government doesn’t trust the people. I’m here at the courthouse where Trump will be arraigned later today & I’m making a demand to our government: tell us the truth about what’s really driving this flurry of… pic.twitter.com/Ro6SRzy7qC
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) August 3, 2023
Trump, who will appear before Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya Thursday afternoon, struck a joking tone on social media ahead of his arraignment, remarking, “I NEED ONE MORE INDICTMENT TO ENSURE MY ELECTION!”
News of Trump’s third indictment came this week, as he faces four counts: “one on conspiracy to defraud the U.S.; one on conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; one of obstruction and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and one of conspiracy against rights,” as Breitbart News reported.
Exclusive — Trump on Jack Smith’s Superseding Indictment: “This Is Harassment”
Matthew Perdie / Breitbart News, Jack Knudsen / Breitbart News“I AM NOW GOING TO WASHINGTON, D.C., TO BE ARRESTED FOR HAVING CHALLENGED A CORRUPT, RIGGED, & STOLEN ELECTION,” Trump wrote hours ahead of his scheduled arraignment, deeming it a “GREAT HONOR, BECAUSE I AM BEING ARRESTED FOR YOU.”
