NEW DELHI: US President
Joe Biden
came to the defense of Republican presidential hopeful
Nikki Haley
following a series of personal attacks by former President Donald
Trump
, which included insinuations about the absence of Haley's spouse,
Maj Michael Haley
. Maj Haley is currently on active duty deployment in the Horn of Africa with the South Carolina Army National Guard.
Biden responded to Trump's insinuations by highlighting Maj Haley's service abroad.
"The answer is that Major Haley is abroad, serving his country right now," Biden shared on X, condemning Trump's attitude towards military service with the statement, "We know [Trump] thinks our troops are ‘suckers,’ but this guy wouldn’t know service to his country if it slapped him in the face."
At a rally held at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina, Trump provocatively inquired about the location of Haley's
husband
, hinting at potential marital issues as the reason for his absence. "Where’s her husband? Oh, he’s away. He’s away," Trump remarked, casting doubt on Haley's personal life amidst their competition for the GOP nomination.
Nikki Haley, aged 52 and Trump's sole rival for the Republican nomination, rebuked Trump's remarks, emphasizing the disrespect they conveyed towards military personnel and their families. On CBS's Face The Nation, she stated, “Donald Trump's comments represent a pattern of disrespect to every military member who sacrifices for us and the families who sacrifice alongside them.”
Haley highlighted the collective sacrifice of military families and expressed her presidential aspirations as a fight for the country, mirroring her husband's and his comrades' battlefield sacrifices. “I'm running for president because my husband, Michael, and his military brothers and sisters put their lives on the line to fight for our country. We should be willing to fight for our country here at home,” she declared.
Challenging Trump directly, Haley invited him to confront her openly: "Donald, if you have something to say, don't say it behind my back; get on a debate stage and say it to my face.”
Proudly speaking of Michael's military service, Haley also proposed mental competency tests for politicians over 75, subtly jabbing at Trump. She argued that mocking a combat veteran's service disqualifies one from presidential eligibility.
Trump's comments have sparked widespread criticism across political lines, with both conservatives and liberals condemning his attack on military families as unacceptable. Navy Combat Veteran and retired NSA astronaut Captain Mark Kelley remarked, “Donald Trump understands absolutely nothing about what it means to serve this country. This disrespect of Nikki Haley's husband demonstrates again why he isn't fit to be president.”
(With inputs from agencies)
English (US) ·