Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley took aim at House Republicans amid the continued battle over the next speaker of the House, arguing the GOP infighting is bad for the country.
“They need to get it together,” Haley said during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Jake Tapper. “They need to get in a room and figure out who this is going to be and come out unified.”
Haley’s comments come as Congress has been thrust into chaos after Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., forced a vote that removed former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his position, which ignited a GOP battle over who will become the next speaker.
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Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations, speaks at the Republican Party Of Iowas annual Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, US, on Friday, July 28, 2023 (Rachel Mummey/Bloomberg via Getty Image)
Friday, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, was nominated by Republicans as their candidate. The vote has yet to move to the House floor.
Doubts continue to surround the feasibility of electing Jordan to the post after 55 Republicans indicated on a secret ballot that they would not vote for the Ohio lawmaker on the House floor if he were nominated for speaker. That would put Jordan well short of the 217 Republican votes needed for Jordan to get over the top and win the speakership on the House floor.
Democrats, meanwhile, have taken advantage of the GOP infighting, ridiculing Republicans while pushing an effort to elect a more moderate or even Democrat to the top House post.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, left, and Majority Leader Steve Scalise. (Getty Images)
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During her interview with CNN, Haley also said Democrats have plunged the country into chaos, citing inflation, the border, and multiple wars around the world. The GOP hopeful said that Republicans won’t be able to do the work of getting the country back on track if they are divided.
“You can’t fix Democrat chaos with Republican chaos,” Haley said while calling on the GOP House to unify around one candidate.
“That’s what Republicans need to do,” Haley said. “This is not a good look.”
2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley gives remarks at Moms for Libertys Joyful Warriors National Summit in Philadelphia on June 30, 2023. (Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins)
Haley pointed to events going on around the world, including the recent Hamas attacks on Israel, arguing that the infighting between Republicans has helped contribute to a “distracted” America and made the world a more dangerous place.
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“We saw what happened to Israel when they were distracted,” Haley said. “America looks so distracted right now. When America’s distracted the world is less safe.”
