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Nikki Haley in Michigan ahead of Tuesday’s presidential primary

Nikki Haley
Courtesy
/
Department of State
Nikki Haley delivering remarks to the press on the UN Human Rights Council, at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on June 19, 2018.

After losing in her home state of South Carolina, Republican candidate Nikki Haley is in Michigan ahead of the state’s presidential primary on Tuesday, Feb. 27. She made a stop in Troy on Sunday night, with a planned appearance in Grand Rapids on Monday.

Speaking to a crowd of her supporters near Detroit, Nikki Haley took aim at government spending. She called out recent Democratic and Republican administrations for allowing the national debt to increase during their terms in office.

“You go back and look, Donald Trump put us $8 trillion in debt in just four years,” said Haley. “And Republicans doubled down and continued spending.”

Haley served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under President Trump. She called out her Republican opponent for his recent rhetoric — in which Trump encouraged Russia to attack NATO allies who don’t pay.

“Trump is siding with a thug, where half a million people have been wounded or killed because Putin invaded Ukraine,” said Haley. “Trump is siding with a dictator who kills his political opponents.”

Haley also called out Trump and President Biden’s ages — saying she thinks there should be mental competency tests for politicians over 75 and term limits in Congress. She acknowledged trailing Trump for the GOP nomination but says she’s staying in the race to give people another choice.

Alex McLenon is a Reporter with 101.9 WDET.