Republican front-runner Donald Trump slammed South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for her veiled references during her response to the State of the Union.
Trump, in a telephone interview on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" Wednesday criticized Haley as being "weak" on illegal immigration and said he'd likely look to someone stronger as a potential running mate, despite talk that the South Carolina governor might be a
good pairing for him.
"She certainly has no trouble asking me for campaign contributions," Trump said. "Over the years, she's asked me for a hell of a lot of money in campaign contributions. So, it's sort of interesting to hear her. Perhaps if I weren't running she'd be in my office asking me for money. But now that I'm running she wants to take a weak side on immigration."
Trump said he loves her state, and has a massive lead there, but considering he's leading in the polls by a lot "I wouldn't say she's off to a good start based on what she has just said" as far as him picking her for a running mate.
"We'll pick somebody, but we'll pick somebody who is very good," Trump said. "But whoever I pick is also going to be very strong on illegal immigration. We've had it with illegal immigration. I feel very strongly about illegal immigration. She doesn't."
Haley, though, told Lemon in the earlier interview that she hasn't been thinking about becoming anyone's running mate, even Trump's.
"We started our legislation yesterday and we've got our budget rollout on Wednesday," she said. "What I want is for all of our candidates to make sure that we have the best people we can, that we bring in the most people that we can and that we lead with solutions."
Haley continued that she has not thought about the possibility "nearly as much as you guys have. I've got a daughter in high school and son in middle school. So I'm busy with basketball games and running the state. I've said at any time somebody wants to sit down I'm happy to sit down, but really my life is full."
Haley confirmed Wednesday that she was indeed talking about Donald Trump "partially" with her remarks in the
GOP's State of the Union response about listening to the loudest voices in the room on immigration and other controversial topics, and that her speech was reviewed by party leaders before she gave it.
"Partially [it was] him, but a lot of people," Haley told CNN's Don Lemon of Trump on the network's
"New Day" program. "Look at Baltimore, Ferguson, people feel they have to be loud and angry to get their voices heard."
She repeated the statements on NBC's "Today" show, commenting that Trump has "definitely contributed to what I think is just irresponsible talk."
In comparison, Haley said, blacks and whites came together in her own state following the horrific shootings at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston last June, said Haley, and "we didn't have all that. We get more done when we listen and find out where someone else is coming from, and try to find common ground."
Haley came under some fire for saying
Republicans and Democrats share blame for many of the country's issues, and repeated Wednesday that there is responsibility to bear on both sides.
"I think we have Republicans who have increased debt just like we've seen Democrats," Haley said. "I think we see Republicans who are not always being responsible with their words in terms of extending our intent, making sure people abide by our laws and traditions and feel accepted in this country.
"I think it's important for Republicans to really understand we have to really look at the responsibility that we have and what we want to do to keep this country the greatest, freest country in the world."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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