Haley says Trump ‘incredibly reckless’ if charges in indictment are true

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley said Monday that former President Trump was “incredibly reckless” if the federal charges lodged against him in an indictment over his handling of classified documents turn out to be true.

Haley also criticized the FBI and the Department of Justice, joining other Republicans defending Trump who argue the former president is being treated unfairly.

“This is what I’ll tell you, two things can be true at the same time: One, the DOJ and FBI have lost all credibility with the American people, and getting rid of just senior management isn’t going to be enough to fix this. This is going to take a complete overhaul, and we have to do that,” Haley said during an interview on Fox News. 

“Two, the second thing can also be true. If this indictment is true, if what it says is actually the case, President Trump was incredibly reckless with our national security,” she said.

She explicitly criticized the taking of classified documents that detail U.S. military maneuvers. Trump is accused of having classified information at Mar-a-Lago that touched on the nation’s nuclear programs and its defense and weapon capabilities in addition to those of other nations. 

“More than that, I’m a military spouse, my husband’s about to deploy this weekend,” Haley said. “This puts all of our military men and women in danger if you are going to talk about what our military is capable of or how we would go about invading or doing something with one of our enemies. And if that’s the case, it’s reckless, it’s frustrating and it causes problems.”

Haley’s comments come just days after Trump was federally indicted on 37 counts for his handling of classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago home.

Trump is set to appear in federal court in Miami on Tuesday afternoon. 

Haley’s remarks demonstrate a shift in tone since the former president’s first indictment, in which many 2024 GOP contenders blasted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) over the probe and largely defended Trump. 

Although the scope of the probes are different, some Republicans, including those who once worked in the Trump administration, say that if the charges are true, it’s troublesome for the former president.

“If even half of it is true, then he’s toast. I mean it’s a very detailed indictment, and it’s very, very damning, and this idea of presenting Trump as a victim here — a victim of a witch hunt — is ridiculous,” said former Attorney General Bill Barr on “Fox News Sunday” on Sunday.

The Hill has reached out to a Trump spokesperson for comment.