Haley Tackled By Rivals Over Liberal Donors, Weak Conservative Stance

Former South Carolina Gov. was attacked for her supposed weak stance on controversial issues like free speech, transgender polices and ESG on Wednesday night’s GOP primary debate. In the view of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and biotech executive Vivek Ramaswamy, she will cave to big donors and compromise on issues dear to Republicans.

Haley grilled by debate opponents, social media over record on trans issues: 'Will cave to big donors' https://t.co/VsqP27rQmT

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At some point during the debate, DeSantis accused the former governor of caving “anytime the media comes after her.”

Touting his stance on transgender bathroom bills as governor, DeSantis pointed out that Haley did not do enough to push the bill in her state when she was governor. “You killed it, I signed it, I stood up for little girls,” he said.

During an argument regarding ESG issues, Ramaswamy accused the former UN ambassador of meeting and taking money from Democrat donors and supporters of ESG.

“One of Nikki Haley’s largest supporters, Larry Fink, the king of the woke industrial complex, the ESG movement, the CEO of BlackRock, the most powerful company in the world, now supporting Nikki Haley,” Ramaswamy said, blatantly accusing her of being “corrupt” and playing “identity politics.”

Drawing a distinction between his position and Haley’s, DeSantis said, “I took $2 billion away from BlackRock. We took action. This ESG, they call it environment, Social governance. And again, Nikki is meeting with all these people. They want to use economic power to impose a left wing agenda on this country.”

DeSantis and Ramaswamy also pointed to a $250,000 donation into Haley’s super PAC earlier in the week by top Democratic donor Reid Hoffman. To them, these donations are not for nothing and the donors will try to cash in on their favors in the future.

Haley was not having any of the accusations against her and called DeSantis and Ramaswamy “jealous.” According to her, the two are only taking issue with her because they wish those donors decided to back them instead.

Responding to the assertions that she will be indebted to Democrat donors and ESG proponents, she said, “As much as Ron says that it’s not true. But when it comes to these corporate people that want to suddenly support us, we’ll take it. But I don’t ask them what they support… They ask me what my policies are and I tell them what it is. Sometimes they agree with me sometimes they don’t.”

As for not fighting hard enough for conservative values during her tenure as South Carolina’s governor, her spokesperson Ken Farnaso told Fox News that it was a baseless claim.

“Everyone knows Nikki was the conservative, outsider governor in South Carolina,” Farnaso stated. “She took on the establishment and Barack Obama—and won. She cracked down on illegal immigration, implemented E-Verify, opposed Wall Street bailouts, protected life, cut taxes, expanded Second Amendment rights, and signed the first anti-BDS bill in the country.”