South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said Wednesday that GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump has “definitely” contributed to what she called “irresponsible talk” in the wake of her State of the Union response in which she warned against following the “angriest voices” in anxious times.
“He was one, there’s other people in the media, there’s people in my state,” Ms. Haley said on NBC’s “Today” program. “I think we’re seeing it across the country, but yes, Mr. Trump has definitely contributed to what I think is just irresponsible talk.”
In the GOP response to President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday, Ms. Haley had said: “Today, we live in a time of threats like few others in recent memory. During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation.”
“No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws, and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country,” she said in the response. “At the same time, that does not mean we just flat out open our borders. We can’t do that.”
Ms. Haley’s response has won praise from people like House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a 2016 GOP presidential candidate. But it also attracted criticism from some conservative voices, including author Ann Coulter, who said on Twitter that Mr. Trump should deport Ms. Haley, the daughter of immigrants from India.
Ms. Haley also said Wednesday she hasn’t thought about the possibility of joining the 2016 GOP ticket as someone’s running mate but that she would “sit down and talk” with a candidate if someone wanted to talk with her.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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