Despite most of South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley’s response to the State of the Union being a takedown of President Obama, during interviews with the Republican on Wednesday, NBC’s Today and CBS This Morning focused exclusively on her warning against the “angriest voices” in the GOP.
On Today, co-host Matt Lauer noted: “...some very conservative voices in your party were not so happy. Ann Coulter tweeted, “Donald Trump should deport” you, Laura Ingraham said, ‘The country is lit up with a populist fever and the GOP responds by digging in, criticizing the GOP candidates dominating the polls?! Not smart.’ What’s your response?”
Haley explained: “Well, look, I respect all of those people and understand their opinion but, you know, I disagree. I think that a lot of what we're trying to do is say those angriest voices are not helpful....I do want us to be more inclusive and understand the reason that this country is so great is because of the fabric of America is made by immigrants. And it’s legal immigrants.”
Moments later, Lauer proclaimed: “Some people on the far right of your party wanted you to deliver a full-scale partisan political attack. You didn't see that as your mission, did you?” Haley briefly replied: “That wasn't me. That's not me. I think that it's important for us to look in the mirror. I think Republicans need to understand that they, too, are responsible for the status of where we are in the country.”
She then returned to her criticism of Obama, despite Lauer seeming to be uninterested in that part of her address: “I mean, look, President Obama has divided our country in ways we've never seen before. We're seeing disastrous things with health care, education, the economy, the national security.”
On CBS This Morning, co-host Norah O’Donnell began: “You said last night that your party has to ‘resist the temptation to follow the siren call of the angriest voices.’ Why did you want to land that criticism at Donald Trump?” Haley responded: “You know, the angriest voices was actually – referred to a lot of things. I mean, certainly some of the things that Mr. Trump has said, but it's been to other things as well....Mr. Trump is not exempt from being one of those angriest voices. And all I'm saying is we’ve got a responsibility.”
O’Donnell followed up: “But, Governor, a lot of people looked at your address last night and saw it not only as a rebuttal to President Obama's State of the Union, but also a call to your own party and a call to distance your party from Donald Trump. Is that, in part, true?” Haley countered: “No. That wasn't true. You know what it was, I was calling out my party. I mean, that was very true. I called out Republicans and I called out Democrats, because I think it's important. If the country’s going to move forward, we all need to look in the mirror.”
Like Lauer, fellow co-host Charlie Rose touted Haley’s critics: “As you know, there is also things called pundits and radio hosts, and Laura Ingraham said that it may not be smart, she tweeted, to be ‘criticizing GOP candidates who are dominating the polls.’ And Ann Coulter said that Trump ‘should deport’ you. Is this exactly what you’re talking about?”
Haley reiterated:
You know, I have respect for both of those women. And – but what I'll tell you is I was given the opportunity by Speaker Ryan and Senator McConnell to say what I think. And so, I was very critical of the administration, I was very critical of the things that Obama hasn't done, whether it's health care, whether it's the economy, whether it's education, whether it's dividing the country. But I was also critical about our own Republicans and that’s because we can't assume that we have no blame here.
Finally, co-host Gayle King wondered: “Governor, you’re also getting – many people are applauding you today for really speaking very candidly and criticizing your own party. Was that difficult for you to do? It's rare for people to do that.”
Like Today, there was not a single question about Haley’s substantive criticism of Obama.
Haley opened her Tuesday night response by blasting the President’s failures:
Unfortunately, the President's record has often fallen far short of his soaring words. As he enters his final year in office, many Americans are still feeling the squeeze of an economy too weak to raise income levels. We're feeling a crushing national debt, a health care plan that has made insurance less affordable and doctors less available, and chaotic unrest in many of our cities. Even worse, we are facing the most dangerous terrorist threat our nation has seen since September 11th, and this president appears either unwilling or unable to deal with it.
Here is a transcript of all the questions put to Haley on the January 13 Today and This Morning:
Today
7:07 AM ET
MATT LAUER: We are joined now by South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. Governor, good morning....Let’s talk about the reviews. They’re in. Prominent Democrat David Axelrod says this, he tweeted, “Really effective speech by Nikki Haley, avoided the respond to State of the Union curse.” Paul Ryan, Jeb Bush, both said you hit it out of the park. But as Peter just mentioned, some very conservative voices in your party were not so happy. Ann Coulter tweeted, “Donald Trump should deport” you, Laura Ingraham said, “The country is lit up with a populist fever and the GOP responds by digging in, criticizing the GOP candidates dominating the polls?! Not smart.” What’s your response?
(...)
LAUER: But I just want to be clear here that when you were talking about those loudest voices, those angriest voices, in that context, you were you referring to Donald Trump, correct?
(...)
LAUER: Some people on the far right of your party wanted you to deliver a full-scale partisan political attack. You didn't see that as your mission, did you?
(...)
LAUER: The attention you're getting in the wake of this speech is making you, or cementing your place as a leading candidate for vice president in your party. On a scale of one to ten, Governor, how interested are you? Ten being the most?
(...)
LAUER: Well, you mention Speaker Ryan. Speaker Ryan didn't really want the job as speaker, but for the good of his party he took it. You're saying you really haven't thought about the position of vice president. For the good of your party, would you accept it?
(...)
LAUER: When will you endorse a candidate in this race?
CBS This Morning
7:14 AM ETNORAH O’DONNELL: South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley delivered last night’s Republican response to the President. She joins us now from Columbia. Governor, good morning....And thank you for joining us here. You said last night that your party has to “resist the temptation to follow the siren call of the angriest voices.” Why did you want to land that criticism at Donald Trump?
(...)
O’DONNELL: But, Governor, a lot of people looked at your address last night and saw it not only as a rebuttal to President Obama's State of the Union, but also a call to your own party and a call to distance your party from Donald Trump. Is that, in part, true?
(...)
CHARLIE ROSE: As you know, there is also things called pundits and radio hosts, and Laura Ingraham said that it may not be smart, she tweeted, to be “criticizing GOP candidates who are dominating the polls.” And Ann Coulter said that Trump “should deport” you. Is this exactly what you’re talking about?
(...)
GAYLE KING: Governor, you’re also getting – many people are applauding you today for really speaking very candidly and criticizing your own party. Was that difficult for you to do? It's rare for people to do that.
(...)
ROSE: Would you like to see a woman on the Republican ticket?
(...)
