Donald Trump claims he ‘purposely’ mixed up Nikki and Nancy Pelosi because ‘they both stink’ as he goes after Haley on her home turf, saying she’s ‘getting angrier and crazier’ as the race continues

Former President Donald Trump, 77, claimed Wednesday night that he “intentionally” mixed up rival Nikki Haley and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — in what has been characterized as one of the ex-president’s own biggest moments.

Trump’s original blunder came as he campaigned in New Hampshire last month, using Haley’s name instead of Pelosi’s as he argued that the Democratic chairman should be held more accountable for what happened on January 6 the Capitol happened.

Now, as he battles Haley in her home state of South Carolina — telling a rowdy crowd in North Charleston that she’s “getting angrier and crazier” as the Republican Party’s primaries continue — Trump pushed back on his chief rival’s claim that he had lost a step.

“When I interjected – because I’m not a Nikki fan and I’m not a Pelosi fan – and when I inserted names on purpose, they said I didn’t know Pelosi from Nikki, from tricky Nikki, tricky Nikki, he did” I don’t know,” Trump said. “I intervene and they make a big deal out of it. I said, “No, no, I think they both stink, they have something in common, they both stink.”

“And remember this: If I make a statement like that about Nikki, it means she will never run for vice president,” the ex-president added to cheers.

During the meeting on Wednesday evening, Trump also continued to claim that he had deliberately replaced President Barack Obama’s name with Biden’s, blaming “dishonest people” in the media and complaining that it is “very difficult to be sarcastic are’.

“When I say Barack Hussein Obama is the president of the United States, I mean there’s a lot of scrutiny because that one guy can’t put two sentences together. So I say Barack Hussein Obama,” Trump explained.

Both Haley, 52, and President Joe Biden’s campaign have pointed out Trump’s recent mistakes — as she has long argued that the country is ready for a new generation of leadership and as Biden’s team addresses the issues surrounding the 81-year-old’s age president tries to soften. .

Trump lashed out at both Haley and Biden during the Wednesday night meeting and was particularly infuriated by the comparisons between the president and him.

He said Haley’s numbers were “tanking” as Trump still holds a 36-point lead in the former U.N. ambassador and governor’s home state.

“Her grades are going down as she gets angrier and crazier and gets deeper and deeper scars from Trump Derangement Syndrome,” the ex-president said. “Nikki moved so far to the left because of her Democratic donor,” Trump also accused.

He knocked his rival for “going after the Republican Party,” and read past quotes she said about him, including that he was “committed to protecting our military.”

In recent days, Haley has pointed out comments Trump made about her husband — a military man put in the role — as well as previous disparaging comments he reportedly made about military members in an effort to chip away at some of his support .

Trump also tried to link Haley to Republican Sen. Mitt Romney — the top anti-Trump lawmaker in the Senate — and to Obama during his speech on Wednesday night.

“Nikki is also best friends politically with a guy named Mitt Romney,” Trump said, drawing boos from the crowd. “He has essentially been driven from office. Remember, he was running down Pennsylvania Avenue with Antifa in a mask.”

Trump was likely referring to Romney’s participation in a Black Lives Matter protest in June 2020 and later his decision not to run for re-election to the Senate.

“And she was seriously thinking about supporting a gentleman whose name is Barack Hussein Obama,” Trump said of Haley, who drew increasing boos. “And she decided to go with Romney instead.”

In 2012, Haley — then governor of South Carolina — criticized Romney for being too liberal, noting in a Politico story that she appeared to support former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s presidential bid.

“That’s all we need to know about her,” Trump continued. “I don’t want to waste a lot of time on her because we have more important issues going into it,” he said, switching to “Biden and his thugs” and calling them “desperate.”

‘Have you seen this man on television today? He’s like a deranged lunatic. Round eyes. The eyes are round as hell. But I know he hasn’t had plastic surgery… the eyes are round. Foreign leaders look at him and say, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,'” Trump said.

It was unclear who exactly Trump was referring to, although Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan appeared at the White House press conference on Wednesday.

Trump also repeated the claim that he did not believe Biden would ultimately become the Democrats’ nominee.

“Personally, I don’t think he’ll make it to the starting gate,” Trump said. ‘I hate it when they compare him to me. He’s old, he’s broken, he’s incompetent, but let’s talk about Trump too.”

“You know, I stand here, I make these speeches, all the time, we have the largest crowds in history,” Trump boasted. “If I didn’t have it, you’d be the first to know.”

As an opening act, Trump had both South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace asking for it. for helping Haley win re-election after Trump endorsed her Republican opponent — and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who appointed Haley to the Senate.

“We’ve come a long way, we’ve come a long way,” Trump chuckled as he gave a hat tip to Mace from the podium.

The congresswoman, who has feuded with Trump in the past, was initially greeted with a series of cheers and boos.

Scott, who is reportedly being considered as Trump’s vice presidential pick, opened the meeting by referencing his recent engagement.

“As you probably remember, I recently got engaged. And today is Valentine’s Day. But I told my fiancée that I have the opportunity to introduce the next president of the United States,” Scott said to cheers.