Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) labeled former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley a “Bush in heels,” likening the newly-minted presidential candidate to former President George W. Bush — who represents a more traditional wing of the Republican Party.
“Nikki Haley is just another George (or Jeb!) Bush,” Greene said on Twitter. “She is weak on the border, doesn’t want a wall, claimed ‘Legal Immigrants are more patriotic than most Americans these days,’ and she defended Obama when Pres. Trump criticized his terrible open-borders policy.”
The comments come after Haley officially announced her campaign for the White House, which has quickly faced backlash from conservatives aligned with former President Trump.
Greene tied Haley to the Bush family, which has fallen out of favor with some in the party as their brand of conservatism becomes increasingly distant from the ideology of other rising stars within the party.
“If we wanted a ‘Bush in heels,’ Republicans would vote for Liz Cheney,” Greene added.
The Georgia Republican’s criticism comes as Haley became the first figure to jump into the race to oppose Trump for the GOP nomination, with others expected to declare soon.
Haley — who served under the Trump administration as the ambassador to the United Nations — has framed herself as an alternative option to current Republican leadership, calling for a new generation of GOP leaders.
“We’re ready — ready to move past the stale ideas and faded names of the past,” Haley said at her launch event in South Carolina on Wednesday. “And we are more than ready for a new generation to lead us into the future.”
Greene, the firebrand lawmaker who has made waves in her short time in Congress for her social media presence and attachment to 2020 election denialism, is seen as a close ally to Trump.
Trump met Haley’s announcement with criticism over her past support for cutting Social Security and Medicare, citing her endorsement of former Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) plan to eliminate Medicare. Still, he seemingly welcomed her challenge on Wednesday, saying “the more the merrier.”