Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley surprised many by making an unexpected appearance on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend, taking a swipe at both former President Donald Trump and President Biden in the show’s cold open. The appearance came in the midst of the upcoming South Carolina Republican primary, where Haley is hoping to improve her performance following a loss to Trump in the New Hampshire primary.
During the show, she challenged Trump’s mental fitness and took a dig at him and Biden being on the ballot. However, she also faced criticism from the show’s host, actor Ayo Edebiri, regarding her previous failure to mention slavery as the main cause of the Civil War during a town hall in New Hampshire.
Haley noted that her goal in South Carolina is to make up for her previous loss to Trump in New Hampshire, but recent polls show that she has significant ground to cover in her home state. A Washington Post-Monmouth University poll published Wednesday revealed that Trump has the support of 58 percent of potential Republican primary voters, compared to 32 percent for Haley.
The former ambassador’s appearance on “Saturday Night Live” may have provided her with a platform to reach a wider audience and present herself as a contender in the upcoming primary. However, the criticism and poll numbers indicate that she still faces significant challenges in gaining traction among potential Republican voters in South Carolina.
Overall, Haley’s appearance on the show may have given her the opportunity to convey her message to voters in a different setting, but the upcoming primary will show whether it was enough to significantly impact her standing in the race.