Nikki Haley dubbed 'delusional' for defending Trump's 'respectful' treatment of women despite sexual abuse

WASHINGTON, DC: Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley defended former President Donald Trump, arguing he treated women "respectfully" after he was found to have sexually assaulted longtime advice columnist E Jean Carroll, reported Raw Story.

In an interview on CNN on Sunday, February 4, host Dana Bash brought the former South Carolina governor's attention towards Trump losing his cool after learning his legal team was providing lunch for Carroll's lawyers.

Pointing out he made a C-word reference, the host asked if Haley thought the former President had a problem with "women who challenge him" since she had worked closely with him previously.

"Well, I challenged him a lot, and he actually handled it very well and was very respectful," Haley responded.

She served as the US ambassador to the United Nations from 2017 to 2018 under Trump's presidency. Currently, she is the sole opponent to the ex-President in the ongoing Republican presidential primaries.

Nikki Haley says Donald Trump is not a 'perfect person'

Haley also justified accusations against Trump's misbehavior by saying he is "flawed."

Pointing out her official discussions with the former President, she stated, "If I saw him doing something wrong, I showed up, or I called him, and I would say, you cannot do this, but instead, you know, do it this way, this way, or this way."

"He didn't challenge me. He is not a perfect person. He is flawed," the former UN Ambassador added.

Haley's refusal to paint a negative image of Trump regarding his treatment of women came days after a Manhattan federal jury ordered him to pay $83.3 million in damages for defaming Carroll by denying her claims of the former President sexually abusing her in the 1990s.

Contradicting Haley's remarks, Trump made multiple false statements against the former Elle columnist, claiming he was " wrongfully accused by a woman he never met, saw, or touched (a photo line does not count!) and knows absolutely nothing about."

Haley is currently trailing behind her opponent, who has established his position as the clear frontrunner. After decisive victories in Iowa and New Hampshire, Trump will face his only GOP competitor in the South Carolina primary on February 24.

Internet reacts to Nikki Haley's justification

Netizens slammed the former South Carolina governor for defending Trump's treatment of women. Users on X pointed out that her statement could adversely affect female votes.

One user labeled Haley "Delusional."

Another user opined, "No way to get the women’s vote." One user added, "Nikki IS done."

"How is she going to represent the interests of all Americans if she defends 1 person who violates the interests of half the population," a user asked.

One user wrote, "That alone should prevent her from getting any woman's vote."

"This undermines her candidacy big time," read a response. Another added, "That's intolerable."

Another user remarked, "Flip flopping Nikki."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.