Nikki Haley might be the last one standing among the Republican challengers to Donald Trump, but despite that advantage, she’s doing a poor job of making herself look like the better candidate.
Case in point, Haley’s recent X post is getting lampooned on the platform for its inadvertently embarrassing optics.
As seen below, Haley posted a status, saying, “12 fellas down. 1 to go.”
12 fellas down. 1 to go.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) February 18, 2024
She’s referring, of course, to the 12 other Republican hopefuls for the nomination, but considering past accusations of infidelity (most notably with Trump himself, though both denied it), it was a remarkably unfortunate choice of words.
And the good folks of X lost no time in pointing that out.
One user began the deluge commenting, “I don’t think this reads like she thinks it does,” with others chiming in, commenting, “We don’t need to know your weekend plans” and “Husband out of town again?”
I don’t think this reads like she thinks it does🤣 https://t.co/07GGCnS5xl
— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) February 19, 2024
We don’t need to know your weekend plans, boo. https://t.co/nIvUcIqp2h
— Heidi (@HeidiBriones) February 18, 2024
Husband out of town again?
— 🇺🇸 Be Light 🇺🇲 (@BonX41A) February 18, 2024
Another asked, “Are you starting an OnlyFans?” while another user remarked, “Talk about a lack of self-awareness.”
Gross. Are you on OnlyFans now?
— Liz Churchill (@liz_churchill10) February 19, 2024
Talk about a lack of self-awareness 🤣🤣
— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) February 19, 2024
Again, she most likely wrote this about the primary, but did she have no idea what the erotic implications of this post might be?
There’s a reason that public figures like celebrities and political candidates will pay a lot of money for Public Relations and Communications experts — because it’s so easy to screw up and post something with a potentially embarrassing double meaning.
And public ridicule like this is something Haley really doesn’t need right now, with the way her campaign is currently floundering.
Do you think Haley made a mistake?
Rumors of extramarital affairs followed her since her time in local South Carolina state politics, so a post that dredges up those stories isn’t going to do her any favors.
With regards to her campaign, however, she lost the Nevada primary to “none of these candidates,” recently faced ridicule for posting fake messages from supposed supporters, and further tarnished her public image by appearing in an SNL skit mocking Trump.
Haley cannot afford to keep making embarrassing gaffes like this, keeping scandals like purported infidelities fresh in the mind of the people she should be winning over.
At this point in this primary, Haley should have people talking about her leadership skills and what she could bring to the table as president that Trump couldn’t.
Haley’s PR has almost descended into self-parody at this point.
She might be the last challenger standing, but for the sake of her image if nothing else, she might want to call it quits on her campaign.