Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley weighed in on Friday's verdict that mandates former President Donald Trump pay $83.3 million in damages to E. Jean Carroll in a defamation case. Haley said, "America can do better than Donald Trump and Joe Biden," reported The Hill.
Haley, a former governor of South Carolina and the last remaining GOP challenger to Trump, expressed her perspective via a post on X, formerly Twitter. She emphasized the need to focus on critical issues such as border security and inflation rather than being entangled in legal battles.
She stated, "We're not talking about fixing the border. We're not talking about tackling inflation."
The defamation case involves columnist E. Jean Carroll; she accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s. This marks the second time Trump has been ordered to compensate Carroll, with the recent verdict of $83.3 million following a $5 million verdict last year. The earlier ruling found Trump liable for both sexual abuse and the latter involved defamation stemming from a separate comment.
The legal proceedings intersected with the GOP primary, commencing right after Trump's victories in the Iowa caucuses and recent triumph in New Hampshire.
After securing an endorsement from New Hampshire GOP Gov. Chris Sununu and finishing second in New Hampshire, Haley remains undeterred in her pursuit of the GOP nomination. Despite the setback, she asserted that the fight is "far from over."
The stage is now set for the upcoming South Carolina primary on Feb. 24, where Haley and Trump will face off.
Despite it being Haley's home state, reports from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ indicate that Trump is polling ahead of Haley at 61% in South Carolina with Haley at 27.3%.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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