Although the former United Nations ambassador calibrated her comments, her sharp criticism represented a departure from other Republicans who are believed to be considering running for president in 2024.
Nikki R. Haley, a former United Nations ambassador under President Donald J. Trump and who left the administration without the drama or ill will that marred most of its high-level departures, sharply criticized her former boss in an interview published on Friday, saying that she was “disgusted” by his conduct on Jan.6, the day of the Capitol riot. Ms. Haley,49, who is widely believed to be considering a run for president in 2024, told Politico that she did not believe that the former president would remain a dominant force within the Republican Party or that he would seek office again, arguing that he had “lost any sort of political viability.” “I don’t think he’s going to be in the picture,” Ms. Haley said. “I don’t think he can. He’s fallen so far.” Ms. Haley’s comments predictably prompted a backlash from Mr. Trump’s loyal base of support, a constituency that most Republican office holders continue to try to appease — and one that she had assiduously tried to avoid offending since leaving his administration at the end of 2018. Before her latest comments became public, Ms. Haley seemed to realize that they would go too far for many Republicans. And it was not long before she bowed to the reality of Mr. Trump’s enduring power within the party. In an interview with Laura Ingraham of Fox News that was broadcast late last month — after Ms. Haley had spoken to Politico but before the article was published — Ms. Haley muted her criticism of the former president considerably. “At some point, I mean, give the man a break,” she said, condemning Democrats for pursuing a second impeachment against him for instigating the Jan.6 assault on the Capitol. “I mean, move on.” She added: “Does he deserve to be impeached? Absolutely not.” But the storming of the Capitol last month, and Mr. Trump’s role in inciting it with repeated, false claims of ballot-rigging in the November election, caused Ms.
