Haley camp mocks Trump ‘meltdown,’ pitches return to ‘normalcy’

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley’s campaign went after former President Trump on Wednesday over his “meltdown” victory speech after Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary.

Trump’s rambling victory monologue after his strong performance in the Granite State featured repeated jabs at Haley, including mocking her own concession speech earlier in the evening.

Haley’s campaign described the speech as a “temper tantrum.”

“Last night, Donald Trump reminded voters that they have a choice between two diametrically opposed visions: Make America Unhinged Again or Make America Normal Again,” Haley spokesperson Nachama Soloveichik said.

“Like Joe Biden, Trump is completely consumed by his own perpetual drama and grievances,” she continued. “Americans want a leader who will focus on securing the border, stopping China, and combating the inflation that both Trump and Biden caused — not social media meltdowns.”

Republican presidential candidate former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event in Derry, N.H., Jan. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Trump won about 54 percent of the vote in New Hampshire on Tuesday, a strong performance that met expectations with an 11-point victory over Haley. 

In her speech Tuesday, given just after polls closed, Haley found a silver lining in the performance, dubbing it a “great night.”

“New Hampshire is first in the nation. It is not the last in the nation. This race is far from over. There are dozens of states left to go,” she said.

---

More top stories from The Hill:

• How the Fani Willis allegations could hit the Trump Georgia case
• Frustrations explode at Senate GOP lunch over border deal
• Sharpton says Tim Scott’s rhetoric around Trump is ‘humiliating’

---

In his victory speech, Trump directly went after Haley’s positive spin, saying she can’t “get away with bullshit.”

“Let’s not have somebody take a victory when she had a very bad night. She had a very bad night,” Trump said.

The former South Carolina governor has committed to staying in the race at least until her home state’s primary at the end of February, though her New Hampshire finish has raised speculation over the future of the campaign.