Nikki Haley Trashes Trump Economy, Warns ‘We Will Lose’ if Americans Don’t Start to ‘Feel Some Hope’

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (R) trashed the economy under her former boss President Donald Trump and warned Republicans some big losses could be coming in the midterms.

Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations in Trump’s first term, joined Fox News’ Bret Baier on Special Report on Tuesday where she discussed a number of issues, including polling showing many Americans are not feeling the optimism that the president and his team are about the economy.

Baier noted a January Fox News poll showed people feel they are doing the same or worse economically than they were a year ago. According to the data, 24% said they are better off, 39% said they are worse, and 36% are the doing the same.

Haley, now the Walter P. Stern Chair for the Hudson Institute, argued there has been no talk of “fiscal conservatism” during Trump’s administration and the president consistently pointing to the stock market does not help matters as Americans are concerned with inflation remaining relatively stagnant and other markets being rocked by high interest and costs.

She said:

There has not been enough focus on the affordability issue for Americans. You still have too many kids living at home, you still have people who can’t deal with rent, you see people, they have less money in their wallets, and you can’t look at the stock market and say the economy is doing well. We’re looking at now $39 trillion in debt. Social Security is going to run out in over six years, leaving 75 million Americans having to make a choice. Something needs to be done. Fiscal conservatism has not been talked about at all during this administration, and I think now is the time to focus on the value of the dollar, which is weakening.

Haley did say she’s still thankful former Vice President Kamala Harris did not win in 2024, but argued Republicans need to do a much better job of selling hope to Americans.

An annual Gallup survey released this week found Americans’ optimism about the next years in their lives improving has dropped below 60%, the lowest ever recorded. A recent Rasmussen Reports poll also found Trump with a 56% disapproval rating. More respondents said former President Joe Biden did a better job than Trump than the other way around in the survey.

“If Americans don’t feel like there’s some hope with their wallets and some hope in raising their families, we will lose,” Haley said.

Watch above via Fox News.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!