‘No need to kiss the ring’: Clip of Nikki Haley saying she won’t bend to Trump resurfaces after endorsement
Former South Carolina governor and one-time presidential candidate Nikki Haley is being relentlessly roasted after pivoting and backing former President Donald Trump's bid in 2024.
Haley—who served as a U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Trump before emerging as his toughest primary rival—announced on Wednesday that she would vote for Trump in November.
"I will be voting for Trump," Haley said during an event at the Hudson Institute in Washington. "Having said that, I stand by what I said in my suspension speech. Trump would be smart to reach out to the millions of people who voted for me and continue to support me and not assume that they’re just going to be with him. And I genuinely hope he does that."
Haley's backing of Trump comes despite previous comments she made deriding his—including that he is "unhinged" and "not qualified to be the president of the United States."
Her decision to support Trump in 2024 has drawn furious backlash, even from among Trump's supporters, who believe her reversal is politically motivated.
"Desperate Neocon Nikki Haley finally endorsed Pres Trump today," blasted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Wednesday. "She is doing everything she can to weasel her way into Trump’s next administration even now by threatening that her voters won’t vote for Trump."
"She is putting her career and her interests over the country," ex-Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), a longtime vocal critic of Trump, told CNN.
Amid the backlash, a three-month-old clip of Haley rebuking Trump and promising she has "no need to kiss the ring" began re-circulating on social media.
"Many of the same politicians who now publicly embrace Trump, privately dread him," Haley said in February. "They know what a disaster he’s been and will continue to be for our party. They're just too afraid to say it out loud. Well I'm not afraid to say the hard truths out loud."
"I feel no need to kiss the ring. I have no fear of Trump's retribution," she continued. "I'm not looking for anything from him. My own political future is of zero concern."
The re-emergence of the clip has only added to the mockery.
Quipped one X user: "This is so embarrassing. Poor lady."
"Bootlicking 101," wrote someone else.
"That aged well," joked another user.
"She kissed the ring," concluded a separate user.
Trump has not responded to Haley's announcement but earlier in May shut down rumors that he was considering her as a possible running mate.
“Nikki Haley is not under consideration for the V.P. slot, but I wish her well!" he wrote on Truth Social.
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