The liberal media had given themselves the title of the defenders of democracy, but they didn’t want to see democracy play out. That was obviously the case on Wednesday’s Today when NBC anchor Craig Melvin tried to bully former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley out of the Republican nomination race for president. As he should, Melvin got an earful when Haley called him “ridiculous” and told him off for pretending to be concerned about the GOP for the general election.
“He is clearly head and shoulders above the rest in terms of front-runner status, right now you would concede. What does that say about the party? Why has your message not broken through so far?” Melvin sniped at her.
She pushed back, suggesting, “Well, I think my message has broken through. Not only are we getting Republicans we're getting independents, we’re getting Reagan Democrats. The people who want the anger to stop, the people who want the division to stop, and the people who want us to stop having 80-year-old candidates.”
Melvin’s poking continued with him feigning concern that she was hurting the Republican Party’s chances in November by supposedly gobbling up resources and essentially telling her to drop out of the race. She responded by calling him “ridiculous” and noted that Trump was gabbling up resources with his court cases:
MELVIN: Some have suggested you might be hurting the potential GOP nominee the longer you stay in.
HALEY: I mean, how ridiculous is it that you're literally saying that I'm hurting him by staying in?
MELVIN: Diverting resources.
HALEY: No. When -- Okay. Resources. From a man who spent $50 million of his own campaign contributions on his personal court cases. Where the RNC is broke. I'm the one hurting in resources? I don't think so.
I'm the one that saved the Republican Party. Look at every general election poll, look at any of them. Trump loses by five, by seven. On a good day he's even, margin of error. I defeat Biden by up to 17 points.
Melvin ended the interview by pressing Haley on becoming former President Trump’s vice president if he became the nominee again. “Hypothetically, if your former boss is the nominee again. Would you serve in another Trump administration?” he said. Obviously, the question didn’t sit well with her:
I don't want anything. I don't want vice president, I don't want anything. I am running because yes, while I thought he was the right president at the right time then, I do not think he's the right president at the right time now. I know what the American people want. They want to be heard. They've been through a lot. They don't see enough money in their wallets. I'm doing this because we have to do something. We can't just sit back and let it happen.
This was another instance of the liberal media trying to meddle with the Republican nomination process and force it to end when they wanted it to.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
NBC’s Today
February 14, 2024
7:11:03 a.m. Eastern(…)
CRAIG MELVIN: He is clearly head and shoulders above the rest in in terms of front runner status, right now you would concede. What does that say about the party? Why has your message not broken through so far?
NIKKI HALEY: Well, I think my message has broken through. Not only are we getting Republicans we're getting independents, we’re getting Reagan Democrats. The people who want the anger to stop, the people who want the division to stop, and the people who want us to stop having 80-year-old candidates.
MELVIN: Is there one state you can say right now, “We can win there?”
HALEY: You need 1,215 delegates. Coming out of New Hampshire, he had 32 I have 17. We got multiple states. After South Carolina within ten days we're going to hit 20 states. Let it happen. As long as we keep it competitive.
MELVIN: Some have suggested you might be hurting the potential GOP nominee the longer you stay in.
HALEY: I mean, how ridiculous is it that you're literally saying that I'm hurting him by staying in?
MELVIN: Diverting resources.
HALEY: No. When -- Okay. Resources. From a man who spent $50 million of his own campaign contributions on his personal court cases. Where the RNC is broke. I'm the one hurting in resources? I don't think so.
I'm the one that saved the Republican Party. Look at every general election poll, look at any of them. Trump loses by five, by seven. On a good day he's even, margin of error. I defeat Biden by up to 17 points.
MELVIN: But President Biden is not in the primary.
HALEY: No. And we’re going to continue to work on the primary. Don't discount that I defeated a dozen fellas. Don't discount that I ended up with 20 percent in Iowa when y'all said I wouldn't make it. Don't discount that I got 43 percent in New Hampshire and don't discount me now.
MELVIN: Hypothetically, if your former boss is the nominee again. Would you serve in another Trump administration?
HALEY: I don't want anything. I don't want vice president, I don't want anything. I am running because yes, while I thought he was the right president at the right time then, I do not think he's the right president at the right time now. I know what the American people want. They want to be heard. They've been through a lot. They don't see enough money in their wallets. I'm doing this because we have to do something. We can't just sit back and let it happen.
(…)
