The chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party fired back at critics of Gov. Nikki Haley’s response to the State of the Union address Tuesday night, saying her welcoming tone should be commended.
“First off, what Ann Coulter said is despicable,” Matt Moore told TIME on the sidelines of the Republican National Committee meeting in Charleston, referring to the conservative commentator’s tweet that “Trump should deport Nikki Haley.”
Get our Politics Newsletter. The headlines out of Washington never seem to slow. Subscribe to The D.C. Brief to make sense of what matters most.
The daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley was selected to present a counter-argument to Trump’s comments about immigrants and minorities. “During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices,” Haley said in reference to Trump. “We must resist that temptation.”
Moore said Haley was simply reflecting political realities for a party that has lost two straight presidential elections.
“Winning elections is about addition and multiplication,” he said. “We have to be a party that’s focused on bringing people into the tent to be successful in November. And in doing that, words matter, tone matters, and the way we say things matters. There is nothing wrong with being respectful and polite to people in an attempt to win their vote.”
- The Inside Story of Princeton's Cinderella Run at March Madness
- The Case for Betting on Succession's Tom Wambsgans
- For Both Donald Trump and Alvin Bragg, the Central Park Jogger Case Was a Turning Point
- If Donald Trump Is Indicted, Here's What Would Happen Next in the Process
- Alison Roman Won't Sugarcoat It
- Why Not All Observant Muslims Fast During Ramadan
- It's Time to Say a Loving Goodbye to John Wick
- Who Should Be on the 2023 TIME100? Vote Now
- Column: Ozempic Exposed the Cracks in the Body Positivity Movement
