Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says former President Donald Trump is in mental “decline” and isn’t as competent as he was in 2016.
While appearing on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday morning, Haley was asked by host Margaret Brennan about whether she saw evidence of Trump declining mentally while serving in his cabinet as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Did @NikkiHaley ever question Donald Trump’s mental fitness when she served in his cabinet?
“I called him out if he was doing something wrong,” but she says that Trump is now “just not at the same level he was at 2016. I think we're seeing some of that decline.” pic.twitter.com/D5coEaehEs
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) January 21, 2024
“If you look recently there have been multiple things,” Haley said. “He claimed Joe Biden was gonna get us into World War II. I’m assuming he meant World War III. He said he ran against President Obama. He never ran against President Obama.”
“Don’t be surprised. If you have somebody that’s 80 in office. Their mental stability is going to continue to decline. That’s just human nature,” Haley said. “If you look at Joe Biden, he’s very different than he was two years ago. Are we really going to go into a situation where we have wars around the world, and we’re trying to prevent war, and we’re gonna have someone who we can or can’t be sure is gonna get confused?”
“It’s a real issue. It’s not being disrespectful, it’s just a fact,” she added. “He’s just not at the same level he was at 2016, and I think we’re seeing some of that decline.”
Haley is attempting to rally support in New Hampshire and South Carolina after coming in third in the Iowa caucuses earlier this month. Trump won every county save one that was won by Haley, with an overwhelming lead over other candidates. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis placed second.
However, on Sunday, DeSantis announced his decision to drop out of the race, instead endorsing Trump, giving Haley even more difficulty in catching up to the far-and-away favorite to win the primary.
Trump, meanwhile, spoke out against Haley’s claims with supporters in New Hampshire this weekend, arguing he is more mentally fit than ever.
“I don’t mind being 80, but I’m 77, that’s a big difference,” he said. “I feel my mind is stronger now than it was 25 years ago.”
