Nikki Haley to Trump: ‘Quit whining’ about Harris

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who challenged Donald Trump in the Republican primary, said he should ‘quit whining’ about Kamala Harris if he wants to win in November.
As some polls show Harris gaining momentum in key swing states, Haley weighed in on Trump’s campaign strategy during a Fox News interview Tuesday. She said the Republican presidential nominee should ‘quit complaining’ that the vice president has not done a sit-down interview since launching her campaign. She added he should focus on policy instead of crowd sizes or personal attacks on Harris to win over moderate voters.
“We knew it was going to be her. She’s not going to give an interview. They’re going to hold out as long as they can. That’s their right. They can do it,” Haley told Fox’s Bret Baier. “That doesn’t mean we can’t talk about what she believes in. And we should be getting out there and doing that.”
Haley has been highly critical of the former president and was booed as she walked on stage to gave her “strong endorsement” to Trump at the Republican National Convention. After dropping out of the primary, she sent a letter to a group of former Haley voters now supporting Harris demanding it stop using her name, which the group said it plans to ignore.
In July, Haley warned Republicans in a CNN interview that attacks over Harris’ race, age, and gender are “not helpful.” She repeated the point Tuesday.
“You can’t win on those things. The American people are smart. Treat them like they’re smart. It’s not about her. It’s about the American people. Talk to them and let them know you need their vote,” Harris said.
Haley served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during Trump’s four years in the Oval Office. In the interview, Haley said she genuinely hopes Trump defeats Harris in the 2024 race, but that she would not like to serve in a second Trump administration.
“I genuinely hope he wins but no, I’m not interested in serving in the administration. I said that on the campaign. This was never about a position for me,” Haley said.
Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @rachelbarber_