Trump on Haley: 'Where's Her Husband?'

Donald Trump and Nikki Haley both campaigned in the latter's home turf of South Carolina on Saturday, and the race swerved toward the personal. The former president questioned the absence of Haley's husband on the campaign trail—Maj. Michael Haley is serving overseas with the National Guard—and both Haley and her husband fired back.

• Trump: "Where's her husband? Oh, he's away. He's away," Trump said at a rally in Conway. "What happened to her husband? Where is he? He's gone." After a pause, he added, "He knew. He knew," per the New York Times.
• Haley: At her own rally in Gilbert, Haley referenced the slam. "I need to start with the fact that Donald Trump had a rally today, and in that rally, he mocked my husband's military service," she said, per Politico. "I have long talked about the fact that we need to have mental competency tests for anyone over the age of 75. Donald Trump claims that he would pass that—maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't. But if you mock the service of a combat veteran, you don't deserve a driver's license, let alone being President of the United States."
• Haley, II: She also wrote on X that "Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about." And at her rally, she added: "Donald, if you have something to say, don't say it behind my back. Get on a debate stage and say it to my face," per the AP.

• Michael Haley: He posted a meme on X with the image of a wolf and the caption: "The difference between humans and animals? Animals would never allow the dumbest ones to lead the pack." Michael Haley is serving a voluntary deployment of a year in Africa with the South Carolina National Guard.
• Context: Trump hopes to embarrass Haley, who served as governor of South Carolina, in the state's primary on February 24. The Times notes that Trump's spouse, Melania, also has been absent at campaign events, and the AP writes: "Throughout his political career, Trump has been accused of disregarding longstanding norms on avoiding attacking current or past servicemembers or people in a politician's family."

(More Election 2024 stories.)