‘He Called You Politically Correct’: Nikki Haley Grilled By Fox Anchor On Spat With DeSantis Over Gaza Civilians

GOP 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley joined Fox News’s Bill Hemmer on Tuesday to discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict. Hemmer pressed Haley about an ongoing spat she and Governor Ron DeSantis (R) were having regarding her pushback against DeSantis’s recent comments labeling all Gazan citizens “antisemitic” and a danger if brought into the United States.

“The other day, you said half of the Palestinians don’t want to be ruled by Hamas. I don’t know if you were speaking about all Palestinians or just those living in the Gaza Strip? Ron DeSantis, in a time of politics, jumped on that remark. He said this,” Hemmer began, before playing a clip from DeSantis.

“She’s trying to be politically correct. She’s trying to please the media and people on the left. I don’t care about that. I’m going to speak the truth and let the chips fall where they may,” DeSantis said in the clip, doubling down on his comments.

Hemmer then asked Haley, “What do you make of that? Because he’s saying we should not take any guards and refugees into the US.”

“I’ve always said we shouldn’t take any Gazan refugees in the U.S. I said it when I was at the U.N. that we shouldn’t take Syrian refugees into the U.S. I believe that those in the region should take them,” Haley shot back, adding:

I said that about Syria then, that’s why Jordan and Turkey took them. The bulk of the refugees there and I think, honestly, the Hamas sympathizing countries should take these Gazans. Now, we’re talking about Qatar, we’re talking about Iran. We’re talking about Turkey. They should stay in the region. There is no reason for any refugees to come to America. And I, you know, my record is very clear on that.

“So you agree with Ron DeSantis?” Hemmer followed up.

“I’ve always said that. I mean, that’s the last thing we want. One because we don’t know who they are. But to Bill, look at the fact that Egypt doesn’t want them. Why doesn’t Egypt want them? For the same reason that we should not want them? It’s because you can’t vet them. You don’t know. But also, I found out refugees want to stay within their region. So let the Gazans stay within the region. Jordan is right there. Iran is there. You know, Qatar is there,” Haley replied.

“I just want to put a fine point on this. He called you politically correct. What would you say to that comment on NBC?” Hemmer pressed.

Haley fumbled a bit, saying, “I don’t… I’m not going to say anything to Ron DeSantis when we know we’re running for president and he’s trying to say whatever he can.”

“I mean, I think anybody can look at me as governor. They can look at me at the UN. You can look at me now, I’m blunt. I’m to the point I say what needs to be said and I stand by it,” Haley added.

“Why do you make the comment about half of the Palestinians don’t want to be ruled by Hamas,” Hemmer added as Haley tried to clarify it was regarding a different point.

“And why haven’t we heard more from that population about specifically that?” Hemmer added, finishing his question.

“I think from within the conversation, I was telling the other network that, look, what we saw was the Iranians in Iran, they don’t want to be under the Iranian regime. We saw when I was at the U.N., half of the Hamas did not. I mean, half of the Palestinians didn’t want to be under Hamas,” Haley replied, adding:

They don’t want that rule over them. And so the focus is governing. It’s not about refugee status or anything else. It’s about the fact that you do have many members of the Palestinian and Gazan community that don’t like Hamas, and don’t want Hamas to be there.

Watch the full clip above.