In a recent speech in New Hampshire, former President Donald J. Trump created a moment of confusion while associating Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi. Trump, while criticizing the size of Haley’s event crowds and lambasting the media, shifted focus to the events of January 6, 2021.
In an apparent mix-up, he accused Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and ex-UN ambassador, of inadequate security during the Capitol attack and linked her to the House committee investigating the incident. It’s worth noting that Haley was not in Congress during the riot but working in the private sector. This mix-up adds another layer to the ongoing discourse surrounding the Capitol attack and its aftermath.
“You know, when she comes here she gets like nine people, and the press never reports the crowds,” Mr. Trump said of Ms. Haley. Then, he added changing the subjects “You know, by the way, they never report the crowd on Jan. 6. You know, Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley.”
Mr. Trump then repeated his frequent claim once again that the bipartisan House committee “destroyed all of the information, all of the evidence.” That committee investigated the Jan. 6 attack including Mr. Trump’s actions that day.
Subsequently, Trump asserted that Nikki Haley oversaw security on the fateful day and alleged that she, along with others, declined his offer to deploy troops to the Capitol. This statement adds a controversial twist to the narrative surrounding the events of January 6, 2021.
“Nikki Haley was in charge of security,” he said. “We offered her 10,000 people, soldiers, National Guards, whatever they want. They turned it down. They don’t want to talk about that.”
No response was promptly received from a Trump campaign spokesperson.
Trump consistently attempts to attribute responsibility for the Capitol riot to Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats. Contrary to his claims, there’s no evidence of Trump offering troop deployment, nor Pelosi, the House Speaker then, rejecting any such offer. This raises questions about the accuracy of Trump’s assertions and underscores the ongoing debate over accountability for the events of January 6, 2021.
On January 6, 2021, at 3:52 p.m., Haley shared images of officials besieged within the Capitol, capturing the unfolding events during the riot, witting on X-handle, “An embarrassment in the eyes of the world and total sadness for our country. Wake up America.”