By Sarah Dean, Jake Traylor and Emma Barnett -
NBC News
Former President Donald Trump took a fresh swipe at the husband of his Republican opponent Nikki Haley during a rally Saturday afternoon, questioning his whereabouts.
Haley's husband is deployed overseas with the military.
While recounting that Haley had previously met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence, the former president
asked rhetorical and suggestive questions
to a rowdy crowd, referring to Haley's husband.
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“She [Haley] came to see me at Mar-a-Lago.
She [she told Me:] 'Sir, I will never run against you.'
She brought her husband.
Where is her husband?
Oh, he's out.
He is out.
What happened to her husband?
What happened to her husband?
Where is the?
He has left.
He knew it.
He knew it,” Trump said.
Former President Donald Trump speaks to a crowd in Conway, South Carolina, on February 10, 2024.Win McNamee/Getty Images
Shortly after Trump's remarks, Haley said at a campaign rally in Gilbert, South Carolina, that
she was proud of her husband's service
.
“I am proud of Michael's service.
All military spouses know it's a family sacrifice.
[…] If you make fun of a combat veteran's service, you don't deserve to receive a driver's license, much less be president of the United States,” Haley said.
The former governor of South Carolina launched a direct challenge to Trump.
“Donald, if you have something to say, don't say it behind my back.
Get on the stage of a debate and say it to my face,” she stressed.
Haley also attacked Trump's comments in a message posted on the social network X.
“Michael is deployed, serving our country, something you know nothing about,” Haley wrote in response to Trump's comments on Saturday.
“
Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families
has no business as commander in chief.”
Haley did not elaborate on what Trump meant when he said, “I knew it.”
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Michael Haley also appeared to respond to Trump in a social media post on X, where she tagged him alongside a meme that read: “The difference between humans and animals?
“Animals would never allow the stupidest to lead the pack.”
Haley, who is a commissioned officer, left for a year-long deployment to Africa with the South Carolina National Guard last June, something Nikki Haley mentions at every campaign stop.
In a speech last month, Trump referenced the state of Haley's marriage to suggest that if the former South Carolina governor had a commanding lead in the GOP primary, Democrats would accuse her and say she was having an affair.
“They would accuse her because they would say she was having an affair or something like that.
That doesn't mean she's lying.
But she would be accused of something,” Trump assured.
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Haley has attacked Trump more forcefully since the primary focused on her home state of South Carolina.
Early Saturday, Haley's campaign debuted a mobile billboard with
photos of Trump and Biden calling them "grumpy old men
," which was displayed at Trump's rally in Conway.
While debuting her brand new campaign bus at its first stop in Newberry, South Carolina, on Saturday afternoon, Haley spoke of the confusion of both Biden and Trump.
“Why can't they let go of power and let a new leader come in?” he said.
One audience member shouted: “We don't want grumpy old men!”
Haley responded: “They're grumpy old men.
But I assure you: We can have a better option.”
Trump, the favorite for the Republican nomination,
is well ahead of Haley in polls
heading into the South Carolina primary.