Nikki Haley, onetime United States ambassador to the United Nations, took shots Friday at former President Donald Trump, a 2024 Republican primary opponent.
The former South Carolina governor previously refrained from criticizing Trump. However, in a new interview with RealClearPolitics, Haley argued that "the past is catching up with" the former president.
"He's living in the past, and the past is catching up with him in a way that it is causing drama," Haley told Philip Wegmann, the outlet's White House correspondent. "We have to move forward. We can't deal with the drama that's following him. We can't deal with the baggage."
She also offered sympathy to Trump, acknowledging that he has been "abused" by the media and federal government.
"But the American people need to move forward," she emphasized.
Haley later criticized some of Trump's policy decisions while he was president, specifically for not supporting E-Verify, a government database that allows employers to confirm whether job prospects can legally work.
"It's not about whether it's tough or not," the former U.S. official stated. "This is about making sure that we only have people hired in this country that are legal."
Her comments come two months after Haley announced her decision to run for the Republican nomination, going against past statements that she would not seek the White House if Trump were to run for a second, nonconsecutive term.
A memo leaked earlier this week showed that Haley's campaign tore into Trump behind the scenes, writing that he is "more consumed by the grievances of the past and the promise of more drama in the future."