CNN anchor Jake Tapper, not known for portraying conservatives and Republicans in a favorable light, nevertheless made an admission about the left in regards to vitriol directed towards former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley whenever she runs for office.
Haley, who also served as then-President Donald Trump’s UN ambassador, declared her candidacy for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination earlier this month, and when she did, she immediately came under withering — and racist — fire from left-wing extremists who unflinchingly support Democrats (and who most Democrats never criticize for their remarks).
But on Tuesday, Tapper admitted that there is a “very ugly side of the Left” coming out now that she has declared her candidacy.
During a discussion, Tapper talked to Democratic strategist Paul Begala and Ramesh Ponnuru of the National Review about the racially charged attacks that have been directed at the Haley.
Tapper showed a clip on his show featuring MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan and guest Wajahat Ali, who discussed Haley’s candidacy for the White House over the weekend. In the clip, Ali referred to Haley as an “alpha-Karen with brown skin” and accused her of using her race to “launder white supremacist talking points.”
“The reason why I feel sad is because no matter what she does, Mehdi, it will never be enough. They’ll never love her,” Ali said, suggesting that the GOP was replete with racists who would never accept Haley because of her Indian heritage.
Ponnuru responded to the clip by suggesting that these types of attacks would likely only serve to boost Haley’s popularity within Republican circles. Begala criticized the use of such rhetoric, saying that Democrats should not resort to those kinds of attacks.
“I think the fact she got to be the governor of South Carolina with brown skin is a very impressive accomplishment,” Begala remarked. “I don’t think it’s something people should be ridiculing her about. I think it’s a terrible thing to say about her.”
“There is a very ugly side of the Left that comes out when Nikki Haley runs for office,” Tapper agreed, noting that leftists have regularly accused her of shunning her first name — Nimarata — for her middle name while falsely claiming she uses her ethnicity when it’s politically convenient.
“It’s been a pretty good week for her, I have to say,” Tapper noted in conclusion, adding that the GOP candidate’s campaign did a good job of responding quickly to the attacks. “In terms of the attacks on her and in terms of, like, she’s been in the press a lot.”
WATCH:
Trump embraces Nikki Haley's call for "mental competency tests" for presidential candidates @RameshPonnuru, @PaulBegala, @HeidiReports and @alaynatreene discuss with @jaketapper pic.twitter.com/I8OdJ5z5qd
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) February 22, 2023
