2024 Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley dinged former President Donald Trump during her speech to potential donors at the Club for Growth retreat in Florida.
"I know there's a Republican candidate out there who you did not invite to this conference," Haley will say Saturday, according to a copy of her remarks as prepared for delivery, which was shared with the Washington Examiner. "I appreciate being one you did invite."
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Haley, Trump's former U.N. ambassador and a two-term governor of South Carolina, also took aim at likely rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, such as Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), in addition to Trump Vice President Mike Pence, Trump Secretary of State and CIA Director Mike Pompeo, Govs. Chris Sununu (R-NH) and Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), as well as Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC). Those are all who are considering running but have not announced campaigns.
"Others are hemming and hawing on the sidelines, waiting to decide what to do," Haley will say. "Once I decided I was going to run, I didn't see the point in waiting. When it comes to saving America, being decisive matters."
Trump was not invited to address the Club for Growth, while Pompeo and Youngkin opted not to attend, citing scheduling conflicts. The others spoke during the four-day event, held in Palm Beach, down the road from the former president's Mar-a-Lago private club and resort.
Since launching her bid last month in Charleston, South Carolina, Haley has been careful not to criticize Trump directly. But on Saturday, she scrutinized Republicans who "[hate] economic freedom" and echoed Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
"The last two Republican presidents added more than $10 trillion to the national debt," she will say. "Think about that. A third of our debt happened under just two Republicans."
"It's not just our presidents. It's Congress, too," she will add. "Republicans got the ball rolling on the trillion-dollar pandemic blowouts, with all the bailouts and fraud and abuse that followed. In one bill alone, they spent $2.2 trillion, and the vote was 419-6 in the House and 96-0 in the Senate."
Club for Growth is an anti-tax organization that donated $20.5 million during last year's midterm elections, including to primary candidates opposing ones endorsed by Trump, according to OpenSecrets. Haley referenced those contests, praising the group for challenging "squishy Republicans" while emphasizing her desire to "[save] Social Security and Medicare" and disagreement with House Republicans' restoration of earmarks.
Haley also mentioned President Joe Biden, describing him as "a socialist president" who has expanded "the welfare state," particularly after doling out "trillions paying people to sit on the couch" during the pandemic.
"I will stop the giveaways and grants that discriminate by race and end every federal program that teaches our children to hate America," she will say. "They'll say the pledge of allegiance again."
During her campaign rollout, Haley called for a mandatory competency test for politicians older than 75 years of age that would capture both Trump and Biden. She amplified that theme in Florida.
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"The only thing Joe Biden should be allowed to spend is more time in retirement," Haley will say. "America is not past its prime. And no, Don Lemon, I'm not past mine either," she went on of the CNN host who questioned whether she is in her "prime." "But Joe Biden and too many of our politicians are past theirs."
Trump averages 45% support in early Republican presidential primary polls, according to RealClearPolitics. DeSantis attracts 29% of the vote, Pence 7%, Haley 5%, Pompeo 2%, and Scott 1%.