Trump calls SC’s Nikki Haley ‘Birdbrain.’ Here’s how she responded

Despite his absence at the second Republican presidential debate, former president Donald Trump isn’t missing out on any chance to throw insults at his GOP competitors. His latest: calling former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley “Birdbrain.”

“MAGA, or I, will never go for Birdbrain Nikki Haley. No loyalty, plenty of lies!,” Trump wrote Friday morning on Truth Social, a social media platform he founded.

Haley responded via X, formerly known as Twitter, three hours later with, “Love this. It means we are in 2nd and moving up fast.” She added her signature “Bring it,” with an American flag and knuckle emoji.

At the Wednesday night debate in California, Haley told her presidential competitor Sen. Tim Scott to “Bring it, Tim,” after he took shots at Haley’s record.

Trump has made it a point to be going after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis throughout his campaign, calling him “Ron DeSantimonious” and ”Meatball Ron.” Trump has targeted Haley as much, occasionally making remarks about her, including when she announced she was running for president. Trump said he only appointed Haley to be ambassador to the United Nations so Henry McMaster could be come governor of South Carolina.

Trump’s Truth Social post went on to say, “’I will never run against our great president,’ she said ‘he has done an outstanding job.’ To which I responded ‘how nice of you to say, Nikki,’ knowing full well that her words mean nothing. She even came to Mar-a-Lago with her family, ‘bearing gifts.’”

Haley did say in 2021 she would not make a bid for the White House if Trump was running, but then announced her run for presidency in February 2023, after Trump had announced his run in November 2022.

“Brainbird doens’t have the TALENT or TEMPERAMENT to do the job. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump’s post read.

Haley, the only Republican woman in the race for the White House, has carefully walked a line trying not to alienate Trump voters while also being “conservative” enough, Politico reported. After both recent Republican debates, Haley has had mostly been lauded for her performances, with speculation surrounding who, if anyone, has the strongest chance to overtake Trump for the Republican nomination.

On Oct. 13, Haley and DeSantis’ teams, assumed as the “Trump alternatives,” will go head-to-head for support at a donor conference, NBC news reported.