Nikki Haley’s campaign against Donald Trump reached a new phase with five crucial words in her “Meet The Press” interview on Sunday: “I absolutely trust the jury.”
Haley’s active defense of the anonymous jurors that awarded E. Jean Carroll $83 million in damages after a previous jury found Trump was liable for sexual assault and defamation marked a point of no return. “I think that they made their decision based on the evidence,” she added, just to make her position crystal clear.
What stands out about Haley’s remarks is not just that it’s a Republican taking on Trump over sexual misconduct, something that’s almost unheard of since he survived the Access Hollywood tape in 2016. It’s that a top rival is actually addressing the core argument of Trump’s candidacy: That he is the target of a vast conspiracy that stole the last election and is targeting him now in order to steal the next one.
These twin premises, which Trump has spent years working to build up and maintain, have made it virtually impossible to attack him. “Electability” is not an effective angle when losses are not considered legitimate. Attacks on Trump’s personal character, ethics, and competence are not effective angles when some malicious outside force — the “deep state,” “partisan prosecutors,” etc.— is to blame for his problems. To the extent his nomination looks inevitable, this is the reason.
Trump, who has actively leaned into his legal troubles on the campaign trail, knows that the only way to beat him is to undo this framework — and he knows how scared Republicans are to try it, given the backlash they typically face. Last week, he directly challenged Haley to take her best shot by posing a simple question: Why won’t the same thing happen to you?
God Bless You and Your Families!
Love,
Please think about donating below.
ELECTION 2024 COUNTDOWN
