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Haley walks back criticism of Bush, Rubio

by Jesse Byrnes - 01/14/16 10:33 AM ET

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a top Republican vice presidential pick, late Wednesday tried to walk back criticism of GOP presidential candidates Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

Haley also attempted to blunt blowback from Donald Trump, the GOP front-runner, by saying the critique of his rhetoric in her GOP State of the Union response wasn’t “personal.”

{mosads}”Mr. Trump, I consider him a friend. He’s given me donations in the past. But I disagree with the fact that he wants to start using religion as a way to divide people,” Haley said on Fox News’s “On the Record.”

Trump has blasted Haley as “weak” on illegal immigration after she used her GOP speech to chide the “angriest voices” in U.S. politics, a jab at the outspoken front-runner that prompted backlash from conservatives.

Amid the backlash, Haley argued Wednesday that her knock on Trump applied to others, too, saying she disagreed with Rubio on immigration and Bush on Common Core, the education standards reviled on the right.

“I’m against his Gang of Eight bill — he is not for amnesty — but I was against his Gang of Eight bill,” Haley clarified on Fox, referring to Rubio’s efforts in the Senate in 2013.

Pressed about her remarks earlier in the day that “Marco Rubio believes in amnesty,” Haley chalked up her initial comments by saying, “It’s been a long couple of days.”

And on Bush, whom she had said “passed Common Core,” Haley clarified, “he supported Common Core, certainly didn’t pass it, but supported it.”

Tags 2016 GOP primary Donald Trump Jeb Bush Marco Rubio Nikki Haley VP