Nikki Haley remains quiet regarding Trump verdict

Former Republican Presidential candidate Nikki Haley has not yet commented on the conviction of former President Donald Trump by a Manhattan jury on 34 felony charges as of Friday evening.

While most elected Republicans voiced their outrage on social media, Haley remained silent. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, suggested on Friday that Republicans should consider replacing Trump with a candidate free from legal controversies, a sentiment shared by some Nikki Haley supporters.

“I would love it if he [Trump] would step aside,” said Alissa Baker, a member of the Women for Haley committee. “My hope is… he would say, I’m going to step aside for the good of the country. And that she would unsuspend her campaign and run again because I do think that she has the right solutions for us. I think that she was the best candidate in the field,” Baker told the Washington Examiner on Friday.

Haley’s silence since Thursday evening is notable, especially considering her previous statement on NBC’s “Meet the Press” where she said, “I absolutely trust the jury” after Trump was found liable for defamation in the E. Jean Carroll case.

Some Republicans, including former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, have called for acceptance of the jury’s verdict. Hutchinson wrote, “It is not easy to see a former President and the presumptive GOP nominee convicted of felony crimes; but the jury verdict should be respected. An appeal is in order but let’s not diminish the significance of this verdict.”

This week, Haley drew attention for writing “Finish them – America HEART Israel, Always” on an Israeli artillery shell, a move that received criticism from international organizations like the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Amnesty International.