Nikki Haley fires back at Chris Christie: ‘I’m not obsessively anti-Trump like he is’

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Nikki Haley claps back at Chris Christie: ‘I’m not obsessively anti-Trump like he is’

Republican presidential candidate, former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley speaks exclusively with Fox News Digital, on July 26, 2023 in Manchester, New Hampshire.

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s firing back after being criticized by a rival for the Republican presidential nomination for not being aggressive enough in taking aim at former President Donald Trump.

Former GOP Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, who’s making it his mission to try and take down Trump as he runs a second time for the White House, has been calling out some of his competitors for not matching his aggressive language in targeting the former president, who remains the commanding front-runner in the latest GOP nomination polls.

"He’s like Voldemort in the Harry Potter books, he who shall not be named. The other candidates won’t even name him," Christie said Monday at a campaign event in New Hampshire. "Nikki Haley says, ‘The candidates who’s about the past.’ Nikki, it’s OK. Say his name. It’s all right."

And minutes earlier, in an interview with Fox News Digital, Christie argued that some of his rivals for the nomination "are afraid to tell the truth about Donald Trump. I’m in this race because somebody has to."

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Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks at a business round table discussion, on July 24, 2023, in Manchester, New Hampshire. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)

Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations during the first two years of the Trump administration, was asked about Christie’s criticism during a national exclusive interview with Fox News Digital Wednesday in New Hampshire.

"I’m not obsessively anti-Trump like he is. I talk about policies," Haley fired back.

She said, "There are times where we’ve disagreed with Trump. He thought Jan. 6 was a beautiful day. I said it was a terrible day. He went on a spending binge as president. I’ve said our kids are not going to forgive us if we don’t take on this debt and call out Republicans and Democrats in the process. He thinks Ukraine doesn’t need to be messed with. I know that a win for Russia is a win for China, and we’ve got to make sure Ukraine finishes this. We don’t have to put cash. We don’t have to put troops. But we need to work with our alliances to make it happen."

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"So there are multiple things I disagree with him. But it’ll be on policy," Haley emphasized. 

Pointing to Christie, she charged, "It’s not just not liking someone because of a personal vendetta."

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley outlines her proposals to combat the fentanyl crisis during a campaign event at a faith-based addiction recovery center in Manchester, New Hampshire, on July 26, 2023. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)

Haley was interviewed ahead of an event at a faith-based nonprofit addiction recovery center in New Hampshire’s largest city, where she spotlighted her plans to combat the opioid crisis. Her proposals include targeting China and using the nation’s military to literally blow up supplies of fentanyl that are crossing the border in the U.S.

"You do that by having your special operations go and eliminate those cartels," Haley spotlighted. "We have to get our military on the ground and treat those cartels like the terrorists that they are."

The opioid crisis was front and center on the campaign trail in New Hampshire in the 2016 presidential election cycle, and eight years later it’s still a major issue.

Fatal drug overdoses in New Hampshire are increasing faster than the rest of the country, according to recently released data. And 80% of the deaths involved fentanyl, which has hit hard in cities like Manchester and Nashua. 

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Haley pointed to the nation’s southern border, telling Fox News, "You look at how much has crossed the border. We had enough cross the border that would kill every single American last year. You look at the fact that the number one cause of death for adults 18-49 is fentanyl."

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And Haley reiterated that China is to blame.

"Don’t think for a second that China doesn’t know what they’re doing," she charged. "China knows exactly what they’re doing when they send it to Mexico. They know exactly the fact that its killing Americans. The only talk that needs to be had is that China needs to be told, ‘If you don’t stop killing Americans, we’re going to end normal trade relations with you.’ And that’s the talk that needs to happen," Haley said.