Posted on 08/24/23
| News Source: WBAL
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has indicated that she would support former President Donald Trump as their party's nominee for the 2024 race even if he was convicted of a felony.
Haley was one of six White House hopefuls who raised their hand when asked that question by moderators during the first Republican candidates' debate of the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign in Milwaukee on Wednesday night.
When pressed on the matter the next morning, the former South Carolina governor wouldn't say outright that she would vote for a convicted felon but said she would rather stand by Trump than the Democratic incumbent, President Joe Biden.
"I don't even think it's going to get to the point that Donald Trump becomes president. I think that I'm going to be the nominee and I think that we are going to win," Haley told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos during an interview Thursday on Good Morning America.
"We're going to let these court case play out. Everyone's innocent until proven guilty," she continued. "We'll see what happens. If he's guilty, he'll have to deal with it."
When specifically asked why she would support Trump if convicted, Haley told ABC News: "Because I am not comfortable with a President Kamala Harris," referring to Biden's vice president and running mate.
"I think we would be in a far worse situation," she added. "A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris"
Haley, who previously served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, insisted that "there is no way" Biden would "finish his term," citing his age and a recent "decline" in his health.
"We can't have an 81-year-old president," she said. "We need to make sure we've got someone at the top of their game. Joe Biden is not at the top of his game."