Nikki Haley Can't Quite Figure Out How To Talk About Trump's Sexual Assault Verdict

She wasn't on the jury! How could she possibly have an opinion?

Golly! Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley cannot, for the life of her, figure out just how she feels about a jury determining that Donald Trump did in fact sexually assault E. Jean Carroll.

Margaret Brennan at "Face The Nation' asked her on Sunday if she thinks it "undermines your party if the Republican frontrunner is someone who was just found legally liable for sexually abusing a woman?" and that was simply not a question she felt she was able to answer. Why? Because she was not on the jury — which, curiously enough, has absolutely no bearing on Brennan's question.

“.@margbrennan: "Do you think it undermines your party if the Republican front-runner is someone who was just found legally liable for sexually abusing a woman?" @NikkiHaley: "I was not on the jury. I am not the judge...There has been a verdict and there's been an appeal."”

— Face The Nation (@Face The Nation) 1684076695 

PREVIOUSLY:

 Nikki Haley Pledges Allegiance To MAGA And The Desperation For Which She Stands 

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 Here's CBS with the transcript:  

MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you, as a conservative woman, do you think it undermines your party if the Republican front-runner is someone who was just found liable, legally liable for sexually abusing a woman?

HALEY: I have always said that anyone that feels like they have been sexually assaulted in any way should come forward and have their voice heard. I also think anyone that's been accused should be able to defend themselves. I was not on the jury. I am not the judge. I think that both of them had their voices heard. There's been a verdict and there's been an appeal–

(CROSSTALK)

MARGARET BRENNAN: President Trump was offered the —

HALEY: That's for Trump to defend and that's Trump to decide that.

MARGARET BRENNAN: He ... he gave a deposition, but he didn't go in to defend himself and it was a jury that came to this conclusion. Are you drawing into question the legal findings?

HALEY: No, I said there's a verdict. And I think there's been an appeal. And I think it stands where it stands. And I think the American people need to make a decision based on that.

That is a whole lot of vague. Haley, notably, was not actually asked if she thought Trump was guilty, but if she thought that a court finding him "liable" for sexual assault and defamation would undermine the Republican Party.

To be fair, it probably would have been very difficult to tell the truth in this situation. Because how could it? How would that even be possible? There is literally no demographic whose opinion of the Republican Party would be changed by this in the least. There is no one out there saying, "Wow, I thought Trump was better than this, but guess not!" Really, there are only three plausible reactions to this news and they are:

1) Yes, Trump is terrible, we've known this all along.
2) I don't believe it. It's obviously a leftist plot to make Trump look bad.
3) I'm not sure if I believe it, but also I don't care.

The fact is, this will almost definitely only help him in his third campaign for president, the same way the "Access Hollywood" tape propelled him towards victory the first time around. Why? Because they really like the idea of seeing women and journalists taken down a peg.

Haley probably can't come directly out and say that this will be fabulous for him and will actually thrill all of the little MAGA creeps, least of all because she is also running for president and needs their votes, which she won't get because the only people who think Nikki Haley is a huge political threat to anyone are sheltered centrist pundits.

With regards to Haley's actual "answer" — it is not especially necessary to "be on the jury" in order to form an opinion on a case. Hell, half the time, juries actually get less information than the public does, since many things permitted on the news are not necessarily permitted on the court record. We were all able to see practically all of what went on during that trial, and much of the information revealed during it was information that has been accessible for several years now. Either she has an opinion on it or she's not paying attention.

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