Days ahead of the New Hampshire Republican primary, video emerged allegedly showing a veteran confronting GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley during a meet-and-greet Saturday, at a local Chick-fil-A.
The alleged veteran challenged Haley over her campaign’s spending big money on political advertisements airing on liberal networks, according to video posted to X (formerly Twitter).
“Do you think it’s responsible for politicians to spend, like, a hundred million in Iowa on TV ads which go to mainly news stations that lied to us for years when there’s homeless veterans out there that could use that money?” the unidentified man in the video asked a grinning Haley after she encouraged him to vote for her.
“When you didn’t even come close to beating Trump?” he added, cutting Haley off as she began to speak. “And you spent like a hundred million in TV ad money?”
Met Nikki Haley just now at a Chic Fil A and she was not too happy to be asked why she is wasting so much money on tv ads when there are homeless veterans in the USA and she is going to lose to Trump anyways. pic.twitter.com/TW6UDx2Mpy
— Titus Frost 🏴☠️👻 (@ImperatorTruth) January 20, 2024
“Do you know my husband’s a veteran,” Haley responded.
“That’s fine, but I’m just saying—” the man continued before being interrupted.
“He’s a combat veteran,” Haley said. “And do you know that when the media doesn’t tell the truth the whole reason you put commercials on is to tell the truth because the media doesn’t?”(RELATED: ‘One Of Your Guys Gave It To Me’: Crowd Bursts Into Laughter After Exchange Between Nikki Haley And Young Questioner)
“My point is, you’re not gonna beat Trump, and all of the money you’re wasting could go to better causes,” the veteran told Haley. “That would make the Republican Party actually look better.”
“I appreciate that. You know what, last I saw [we’re in?] a democracy, so we’re gonna keep working for a good democracy, we’re gonna work for freedom but thank you for your service,” Haley said before moving on.
Haley has benefitted from three super PACs — SFA Fund, Americans for Prosperity and Independents Moving the Needle — targeting Granite State voters with over $24 million in media buys, according to Politico, citing an AdImpact analysis. In addition, the Haley campaign spent $4.7 million of its funds; the combined $24 million total is nearly double the $15.3 million Donald Trump’s campaign, along with his MAGA, Inc. super PAC, have spent on political ads, according to the outlet.
Haley met with several Wall Street executives in November at a meet-and-greet breakfast in New York. The former South Carolina governor defended her big donors when she was confronted about her time serving on the board of Boeing during the fourth GOP presidential primary debate.