Former presidential candidate and onetime U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley was critical of Trump world on Tuesday for being “overly masculine with this bromance thing” following the former president’s rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
The event in New York City drew a massive crowd and featured speakers who were divisive, dark and, at times, offensive.
On Fox News Tuesday, Haley addressed a comedian’s racist jokes about Puerto Rico and Latinos, a moment that has roiled the Trump campaign and was condemned by multiple Republicans, including members of Congress.
“This is not a time to have anyone criticize Puerto Rico or Latinos,” Haley said, instead calling for discipline around the campaign. “This is not a time for them to get overly masculine with this bromance thing that they have.”
She criticized the decision to allow a comic to perform at the event in the first place, saying there was “no reason” to do so.
The Trump campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.
Haley noted other language used throughout the rally, as well as in Republican ads and messaging, that she called destructive to drawing women into the fold on Election Day. Polls show a major gender gap playing out with this election, with women turning to the vice president in greater numbers and Trump winning with men.
“This bromance and masculinity stuff, it borders on edgy to the point that it’s going to make women uncomfortable,” Haley said.
“You have got affiliated PACs doing commercials about calling Kamala the ‘c’ word or speakers at Madison Square Garden, you know, referring to her and her pimps,” Haley added. “That is not the way to win women. That is not the way to win people who are concerned about Trump’s style.”
Haley was referring to a video published to X by Elon Musk’s super PAC calling Harris the “c-word” before then saying it was “Communist.” The spot was deleted from America PAC’s account on Monday.
Haley also criticized Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, last month, saying they “need to change the way they speak about women.”
“You don’t need to call Kamala ‘dumb,'” Haley said at the time. “She didn’t get this far, you know, just by accident. … She’s a prosecutor. You don’t need to go and talk about intelligence or looks or anything else. Just focus on the policies.”
Haley’s latest comments come as Democrats have worked to target voters who backed her instead of Trump in Republican primaries earlier this year.
Haley, the last person standing in the GOP primary against Trump, said that she hasn’t spoken to him since June. In July, however, she endorsed Trump and spoke at the Republican National Convention.
Trump and Haley’s representatives had been in talks to potentially have her appear on the trail for the former president, but a senior Trump adviser told NBC News on Monday that a joint appearance was increasingly unlikely because synching up their schedules has been a challenge.
Haley added on Fox News Tuesday that she made clear to his campaign that she stood ready to campaign for him in battleground states but that she has not been asked to do so.
“His style and his wording isn’t always the best. But his policies, I am choosing policy over personality,” Haley said.
Garrett Haake and Jake Traylor contributed.
