Nikki Haley has taken some heat recently. Does she deserve it?
In an interview with Politico published last week, Haley pointedly criticized former President Donald Trump for his post-election behavior and the riotous debacle at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Said Haley: “We need to acknowledge he let us down … He went down a path he shouldn’t have, and we shouldn’t have followed him, and we shouldn’t have listened to him. And we can’t let that ever happen again.”
To judge by the reaction of top Trump fans, you would think Haley had called for the public burning of the flag, the Constitution, and the Ten Commandments. Oh, and for the immediate arrest and beheading of anyone who had ever come within 3 feet of a MAGA hat. She received no love from the media either. She was accused of having been on record both defending Trump in some instances and now, sharply criticizing him in others. That reaction prompted Haley to pen an op-ed in Thursday’s Wall Street Journal. There, Haley pointed out that the left-leaning media are stoking the flames of the internecine warfare brewing within the Republican Party.
The aspersions being leveled at Haley from both sides are, to put it generously, off the mark. From the Right, one has to wonder what the ultimate aim is?
If it is simply to transform the Republican Party into a cult organized around Trump, that’s one thing. But if the GOP wants broad-church support, exiling someone like Haley is abysmally ill-conceived. Top line: Haley was right. Both in her comments to Politico and in her Thursday op-ed. Trump’s behavior has always been questionable. After the election, it was inexcusable. Haley was simply expressing the adult point of view. Haley is also correct in stating that criticism of Trump’s transgressions do not automatically translate into wholesale rejection of Trump and his legacy. It is possible to support some policies and object to others, even if they emanate from the same person. This should be kindergarten-level stuff.
Haley, in many respects, represents exactly what the Republican Party needs in a leader going forward. Someone who can reconcile the populist and conservative wings of the party. Trump devotees may be uncomfortable with it, but then again, they will be uncomfortable with anyone who isn’t named Trump. Haley understands that, for good or ill, Trump has defined the GOP for the past four years and, as the party’s last president, will loom over it.
Haley has much going for her. She’s a former governor (and was an effective one), she retains high-level foreign policy experience, a conservative track record, and the fortune of being highly intelligent and eloquent. She certainly deserves far better than the opprobrium she has absorbed for staking out a reasonable position.
Kelly Sloan (@KVSloan25) is a Denver-based public affairs consultant and columnist.
