'Judgment is pathetic': Nikki Haley slammed for claiming pardoning Trump is in 'best interest of country'

DES MOINES, IOWA: Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley found herself in hot water as she claimed that pardoning and "moving on" from former President Donald Trump "is in the best interest of our country."

The 51-year-old GOP frontrunner was addressing a crowd at CNN's Town Hall in Iowa on Thursday, January 4, 2024, when an audience member asked her to explain her rationale for pardoning the 45th US president.

The former UN ambassador then replied that “when it comes to President Trump, he still has to face and we'll find out whether he's guilty or not.”

“But if we're talking about a pardon, let you assume he's guilty because nobody gets a pardon. If you're not guilty for me, it's not about guilt or innocence,” she added.

She continued by making a comparison between Trump's potential pardon and that of former president Richard Nixon, who received a full pardon from then-president Gerald Ford in 1974.

“It's about what's in the best interest of the country. And I don't think our country will move forward with an 80-year-old president sitting in jail that allows our country to continue to be divided. We have to move on past that, and so I honestly do believe, just like they did with Nixon,” Haley said.

“I think pardoning Trump and moving on is in the best interest of our country. If we're going to heal and if we're going to get back together and get out of the chaos,” she added.

Nikki Haley defends her IOWA comments

Toward the end of the evening, Haley addressed the backlash she received after commenting that the New Hampshire voters have an opportunity to "correct" the results of the Iowa caucuses.

"Look, we have done 150+ town halls. You gotta have some fun, too," Haley told Thursday's Iowa crowd, addressing her comments.

"So, we're at this town hall, we had 700 people in New Hampshire, we're cutting up and yes, I said that,” she added.

Haley clarified that, in her native South Carolina, where she had held the office of governor before, people knew Iowa was the first to caucus.

Haley said the three states "banter against each other on different things." "New Hampshire makes fun of Iowa; Iowa makes fun of South Carolina; it's what we do," she stated, expressing that current politics is "too serious and too dramatic."

Internet reacts to Nikki Haley’s remarks

Nikki Haley’s comments have garnered immense social media attention, with users blasting her for claiming that pardoning and "moving on" from Trump "is in the best interest of our country."

“Her judgment on what is best for the country is pathetic,” one user slammed. “What’s best for the country is not let another president slip through the fingers of justice. Who’s she kidding?” the second user attacked.

“And Haley just explains why SHE is not good for the country,” the third user fumed, while one wrote, “Has Haley ever answered the question of whether she would consider being Trump’s running mate?”

“You should be disqualified just for saying that!!!” the fifth user attacked. “Funny how tough on crime is good for deterrence, but not for Republican criminals,” one more said.

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