Nikki Haley’s campaign laughed off a “creepy” gift from former President Donald Trump’s campaign Sunday that played off his mean-boy “birdbrain” moniker for her.
In the wee hours of the morning, Trump’s team left a birdcage and some bird food outside Haley’s hotel room in Iowa — amplifying Trump’s dis of the woman he appointed US Ambassador to the United Nations in 2017..
When asked for comment by The Post, Haley’s campaign voiced bewilderment at the ordeal.
“This behavior is weird, creepy, and desperate from a former president feeling the pressure,” Betsy Ankney, Haley’s campaign manager, said in a statement. “It’s more proof that it’s time to leave the drama behind. America is better than this. Let’s go.”
Haley posted an image of the snide keepsake to X, formerly Twitter.
“After a day of campaigning, this is the message waiting for me outside my hotel room…” Haley wrote.
Nikki Haley has largely steered clear of fights with her onetime boss.AP
The 2024 GOP aspirant posted an image of the backhanded gift to social media.Twitter/@NikkiHaley
Donald Trump typically unleashes his wrath on those who attack him or threaten his political standing.Getty Images
Trump turned up the snark at Haley days earlier on Truth Social.
“MAGA, or I, will never go for Birdbrain Nikki Haley,” Trump wrote in a post. “Birdbrain doesn’t have the TALENT or TEMPERAMENT to do the job. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
It’s anyone’s guess how Trump came up with the “Birdbrain” jab. But it aligns with his years-long penchant for workshopping disparaging nicknames for political foes.
For example, Trump has called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis “Meatball Ron” and “DeSanctimonious,” among other broadsides. He has also christened President Biden, “Crooked Joe” — rebranding his slur at 2016 rival “Crooked Hillary” Clinton.
Nikki Haley tangled with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over fracking in Florida during the second GOP debate on Sept. 27.REUTERS
The new Trump venom comes as Haley appears to have gained ground in polling over recent weeks, notching third place in the 2024 Republican field in the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate.
That’s up sharply from her fifth place perch at the start of August.
Throughout her campaign, Haley has refrained from reflexively bashing Trump, but has done so on occasion as she highlights her policy disagreements with him.
In Simi Valley, Calif., last week during the GOP debate, Haley juxtaposed their approaches on China.
“This is where President Trump went wrong,” she argued. “He focused on trade with China. He didn’t focus on the fact that they were buying up our farmland. He didn’t focus on the fact that they were killing Americans.”
Nikki Haley’s campaign has touted her recent rise in polling. AP
Trump’s campaign began ratcheting up the offense against her soon thereafter.
The 77-year-old former president flew into Iowa later Sunday, a day after Haley held a town hall in the Hawkeye State.
Trump retains a whopping 43.9 percentage point edge over his nearest 2024 GOP foe, DeSantis, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average.
Source link: https://nypost.com/2023/10/01/nikki-haley-campaign-fires-back-at-trump-teams-creepy-and-desperate-birdcage-gift/