Nikki Haley Criticizes President Biden’s Speech at Charleston Church
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley expressed her disapproval on Monday night towards President Joe Biden for delivering a “political speech” at a South Carolina church where nine Black parishioners were tragically killed in a racist attack in 2015, calling it “offensive.”
During his visit to Haley’s home state, Biden addressed his potential GOP general election opponents without explicitly naming them. He spoke at Mother Emanuel, a historic AME church in Charleston, where the tragic shooting took place in June 2015. A white gunman opened fire on Black parishioners as they attended a Wednesday night Bible study.
Haley gained national attention as governor at the time of the shooting for her response, which included signing legislation to remove the Confederate battle flag from the Statehouse grounds. However, she now finds herself defending against criticism for not explicitly acknowledging slavery as the root cause of the Civil War when asked about it during a campaign event. In response, her campaign released a list of comments attributed to Biden, claiming that they demonstrate his racial insensitivity.
In his speech on Monday, Biden forcefully stated that slavery was unequivocally the cause of the Civil War, debunking any notion that it was about states’ rights. He emphasized, “There’s no negotiation about that.”
Haley’s town hall took place just a week before Iowa’s kickoff caucuses, marking the official beginning of the 2024 nominating cycle. The stakes are high for Haley, who is vying for second place behind GOP frontrunner Donald Trump. She has engaged in a war of words with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as they both strive to distinguish themselves and position as the top alternative to Trump.
In response to Haley’s comments, Trump’s super PAC released a video featuring an old clip of Haley discouraging the use of the term “criminals” to describe undocumented immigrants. This clip came after Trump’s 2015 campaign launch speech, in which he made controversial remarks about Mexican immigrants.
DeSantis’ campaign also released an ad targeting Iowa caucusgoers, criticizing Haley for suggesting that New Hampshire voters could “correct” the decision made by Iowa caucusgoers. This remark implies that Haley does not anticipate winning or even placing second in Iowa, ahead of DeSantis.
During her campaign, Haley repeatedly accused DeSantis of spreading falsehoods in an attempt to gain an advantage. She also accused Trump’s allies of intentionally distorting her statements.
Note: This article has been rewritten to ensure originality and avoid plagiarism.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley criticized President Joe Biden for giving a “political speech” at the South Carolina church where nine Black parishioners were killed in a racist attack. Biden was in Haley’s home state delivering jabs at his possible GOP opponents without naming them. Haley, who gained national attention for her response to the shooting as governor at the time, has faced criticism for not explicitly naming slavery as the root cause of the Civil War. During his speech, Biden emphasized that slavery was the cause of the war. The town hall took place ahead of Iowa’s kickoff caucuses, with Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vying for second place behind frontrunner Donald Trump. The stakes are high for Haley as she aims to secure the top alternative position to Trump. Haley and DeSantis have exchanged barbs, with Trump’s super PAC releasing a video highlighting Haley’s comments on immigration. DeSantis’ campaign also criticized Haley for suggesting that New Hampshire voters could “correct” the decision made by Iowa caucusgoers. Haley accused DeSantis of lying and claimed that Trump’s allies were misinterpreting her words.
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