Former President Donald Trump's legal cases should be "dealt with" before the November election, because if he wins, none will be heard, said Nikki Haley, his top competitor for the Republican nomination.
"We need to know what's going to happen before the presidency happens," Haley told NBC News' "Meet the Press" in Falls Church, Virginia, before Super Tuesday elections next week.
Her comments came a day after the Supreme Court agreed to decide if Trump can claim presidential immunity while defending himself against criminal charges. As it will take months for the court to reach an agreement, the timeline for Trump's trial on election interference charges will likely be pushed back until close to the November general election.
Haley, a former South Carolina governor who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, said a "president has to live according to the laws" and that the nation's leader should not get "complete immunity" and be able to get "free rein to do whatever they want to do."
Haley also reacted to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's announcement that he is stepping down from his party's leadership post while swiping at the ages of Trump, 77, and President Joe Biden, 81.
"I really commend him for realizing that we need a new generational leader," Haley said of McConnell. "I wish that our presidential candidates would do the same thing."
Haley further criticized Trump and Biden for the issues at the southern border, calling their dual visits in Texas on Thursday "comical" and saying that they both are responsible for the situation.
Haley has not yet won a state primary or caucus race but said she's excited about Super Tuesday.
She did not directly answer a question about whether she believes she can win in one of the states but said she wants to remind voters that they have a choice in the primary.
"In a general election, you're given a choice, but in a primary, you make your choice," she said. "This is a chance for them to make their choice."
Haley told NBC that she is looking for a "good, competitive showing" in the Super Tuesday races.
"You keep going to make sure people have a choice," she said. "That's what this is all about."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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