Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has questioned former President Donald Trump's mental fitness after he made a mistake at a rally in which he repeatedly called Nancy Pelosi by her name when attacking the former House speaker.
Trump said at a campaign rally in New Hampshire that the speaker of the House is responsible for US Capitol security, which is not accurate. Haley accused Trump of lying about her record and questioned his mental fitness.
Haley's comments come after Trump made a mistake at a rally in which he repeatedly referred to “Nikki Haley” during his remarks in Concord, N.H., ahead of Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary.
Trump's mix-up Friday night came as he repeated unsubstantiated claims that he made a “recommendation for troops” to be brought in to quell the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol while Pelosi was derelict in her duties as speaker when it came to keeping the complex safe.
Instead of targeting Pelosi by name, as he has in the past, Trump repeatedly referred to “Nikki Haley” during his remarks. He also accused Haley of lying about her record and questioned her mental fitness.
Haley told a crowd of voters in Keene, New Hampshire: “The concern I have is – I’m not saying anything derogatory, but when you’re dealing with the pressures of a presidency, we can't have someone else that we question whether they’re mentally fit to do it.”
Her comments come after Trump said at a campaign rally in New Hampshire, “By the way, they never report the crowd on January 6. You know, Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley … did you know they destroyed all of the information, all of the evidence,
In addition to questioning Trump's mental fitness and accusing him of lying about her record, Haley has also been adamant about calling for term limits and mental competency tests for any politician over the age of 75. She has also been critical of President Joe Biden's handling of the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
Since the start of 2023, Haley and her allies have spent nearly $28.6 million on advertising in New Hampshire, while Trump and his allies have spent about $14.4 million.
But in recent weeks, the gap between Haley and Trump's advertising has narrowed. Since the start of the new year, Haley and her allies have combined to spend about $9 million in New Hampshire, while Trump and his allies have spent about $8.5 million.
For weeks, Trump's campaign has treated Haley as a serious threat in New Hampshire — and the candidate himself made that clear with a series of attacks on social media and at rallies.