Trump says Pelosi 'probably a little bit smarter' than Nikki Haley, claims he 'purposely' mixes them up
Former President Donald Trump called Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley "Birdbrain" and said that Nancy Pelosi was "a little bit smarter" than the former South Carolina governor during a rally.
Former President Trump attacked his Republican opponent Nikki Haley on Saturday, claiming that former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is "a little bit" smarter than her.
Trump addressed an enthusiastic crowd in Richmond, Virginia on Saturday night, days before the Super Tuesday votes are scheduled to take place.
Earlier on Saturday, Trump won the Idaho, Missouri, and Michigan Republican contests. Speaking to a crowd of supporters in the evening, the former president lamented about media coverage of his statements referring to President Biden as "President Obama."
Trump maintained that he refers to Biden as "Obama" intentionally. He also acknowledged that he has mixed up Haley, who he calls "Birdbrain," with Pelosi.
TRUMP DOMINATES IDAHO REPUBLICAN CAUCUSES AS SUPER TUESDAY NEARS
![Nikki Haley and Donald Trump](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/02/1200/675/Haley-Trump.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump. (Getty Images)
"I purposely mix up a name, like Birdbrain… you know who Birdbrain is, right, Nikki, with Nancy Pelosi," he began.
"I put them in because they're interchangeable in my mind," Trump added. "Except I have to say, I shouldn't say this about a semi-Republican, but I think Pelosi's probably a little bit smarter, actually."
![Donald Trump standing at podium](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/03/1200/675/GettyImages-2046566722.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Former US President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump speaks during a "Get Out the Vote" rally at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia, on March 2, 2024. (SAUL LOEB / AFP)
In January, Haley said that Trump was not "mentally fit" for office after he referred to Pelosi as Haley during a speech.
"Last night Trump is at a rally and he’s going on and on, mentioning me multiple times as to why I didn’t take security during the Capitol riots. Why I didn’t handle Jan. 6 better. I wasn’t even in D.C. on Jan. 6. I wasn’t in office then," Haley said during a January rally in Keene, New Hampshire.
"They’re saying he got confused, that he was talking about something else, he’s talking about Nancy Pelosi. He mentioned me multiple times in that scenario."
![Donald Trump stands by American flag](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/03/1200/675/GettyImages-2054088766.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump reacts to supporters while arriving on stage during a Get Out the Vote Rally March 2, 2024 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Haley campaign spokesperson AnnMarie Graham-Barnes criticized Trump's comments in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"This is what Trump does: he insults anyone who doesn’t kiss the ring, and it’s why he can’t beat Joe Biden," she said. "This has to be a party of addition, not subtraction."
Fox News Digital's Brie Stimson contributed to this report.