The Long March to 11/24

One less 'republican' to mess up the voting. Need to elect a real democrat though.

Manchin won’t seek reelection in West Virginia
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced on Thursday that he will not seek reelection to the Senate in 2024, almost certainly handing Republicans a seat in next year’s elections in a deep red state.

“After months of deliberation and long conversations with my family, I believe in my heart of hearts that I have accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia. I have made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that I will not be running for re-election to the United States Senate,” Manchin, 76, said in a statement. “But what I will be doing is traveling the country and speaking out to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together.”

Manchin, who has held his seat since 2010, had long been considered the most vulnerable Senate Democrat on the map heading into 2024 and was, until Thursday, the lone Democratic incumbent who hadn’t made his 2024 plans public. His announcement had been expected later this year or closer to the January filing deadline.

He was staring down the toughest electoral challenge of his Senatorial career as West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) has increasingly become the favorite to win next year.

Democrats have said throughout the past year that Manchin is the only member of their party to have a shot of winning in the ruby red state and the seat will now almost certainly fall into GOP hands.

Former President Trump carried West Virginia in 2020 by 39 percentage points. Manchin, a former West Virginia governor, won his 2018 reelection contest over West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) by more than three percentage points.

“We head into the election with a 50-50 Senate,” one Senate Republican aide said, adding that it is a “huge” development.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) also indicated its happiness with Manchin’s decision. The NRSC has endorsed Justice in the race over Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.), the favorite of conservatives and the Club for Growth.

“We like our odds in West Virginia,” Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), the NRSC chairman, said in a statement.

The Senate Democratic campaign arm argued that it still has ways to keep control of the chamber.

“Democrats have multiple pathways to protect and strengthen our Senate majority and are in a strong position to achieve this goal,” David Bergstein, a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman said in a statement, arguing that seats occupied by Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are in play.

“We’ve already expanded the battleground map to Texas and Florida, where formidable Democratic candidates are out-raising unpopular Republican incumbents,” Bergstein added.

With the West Virginia race shaping up well for Republicans, all eyes will now shift even more to Montana and Ohio, two states in red terrain featuring strong Democratic incumbents in Sens. Jon Tester (Mont.) and Sherrod Brown (Ohio).

Republicans have also looked for opportunities to pick off other states in which they’ve been competitive in recent years, including Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada and Michigan.

Manchin’s decision leaves a major void in the center of the Senate. He has been at the center of bipartisan negotiations of many stripes in recent years and has been widely considered the most moderate member of the Senate Democratic caucus, with questions persisting throughout whether he could leave the party, especially after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) did so late last year.

However, he’d also earned the derision of voters back home with his support for the Inflation Reduction Act last year, having previously thwarted the effort by President Biden and Senate Democrats to pass the Build Back Better agenda, a multi-trillion social spending package.

Questions now will shift to Manchin’s future plans now that a reelection decision has been made. He has notably declined to tamp down chatter of a potential No Labels independent bid, having visited New Hampshire for an event by the group over the summer.

“Every incentive in Washington is designed to make our politics extreme. The growing divide between Democrats and Republicans is paralyzing Congress and worsening our nation’s problems,” Manchin added in his statement. “The majority of Americans are just plain worn out.”

“I know our country isn’t as divided as Washington wants us to believe. We share common values of family, freedom, democracy, dignity and a belief that together we can overcome any challenge,” he said. “We need to take back America and not let this divisive hatred further pull us apart.”

printer said:

One less 'republican' to mess up the voting. Need to elect a real democrat though.

Manchin won’t seek reelection in West Virginia
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced on Thursday that he will not seek reelection to the Senate in 2024, almost certainly handing Republicans a seat in next year’s elections in a deep red state.

“After months of deliberation and long conversations with my family, I believe in my heart of hearts that I have accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia. I have made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that I will not be running for re-election to the United States Senate,” Manchin, 76, said in a statement. “But what I will be doing is traveling the country and speaking out to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together.”

Manchin, who has held his seat since 2010, had long been considered the most vulnerable Senate Democrat on the map heading into 2024 and was, until Thursday, the lone Democratic incumbent who hadn’t made his 2024 plans public. His announcement had been expected later this year or closer to the January filing deadline.

He was staring down the toughest electoral challenge of his Senatorial career as West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) has increasingly become the favorite to win next year.

Democrats have said throughout the past year that Manchin is the only member of their party to have a shot of winning in the ruby red state and the seat will now almost certainly fall into GOP hands.

Former President Trump carried West Virginia in 2020 by 39 percentage points. Manchin, a former West Virginia governor, won his 2018 reelection contest over West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) by more than three percentage points.

“We head into the election with a 50-50 Senate,” one Senate Republican aide said, adding that it is a “huge” development.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) also indicated its happiness with Manchin’s decision. The NRSC has endorsed Justice in the race over Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.), the favorite of conservatives and the Club for Growth.

“We like our odds in West Virginia,” Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), the NRSC chairman, said in a statement.

The Senate Democratic campaign arm argued that it still has ways to keep control of the chamber.

“Democrats have multiple pathways to protect and strengthen our Senate majority and are in a strong position to achieve this goal,” David Bergstein, a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman said in a statement, arguing that seats occupied by Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are in play.

“We’ve already expanded the battleground map to Texas and Florida, where formidable Democratic candidates are out-raising unpopular Republican incumbents,” Bergstein added.

With the West Virginia race shaping up well for Republicans, all eyes will now shift even more to Montana and Ohio, two states in red terrain featuring strong Democratic incumbents in Sens. Jon Tester (Mont.) and Sherrod Brown (Ohio).

Republicans have also looked for opportunities to pick off other states in which they’ve been competitive in recent years, including Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada and Michigan.

Manchin’s decision leaves a major void in the center of the Senate. He has been at the center of bipartisan negotiations of many stripes in recent years and has been widely considered the most moderate member of the Senate Democratic caucus, with questions persisting throughout whether he could leave the party, especially after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) did so late last year.

However, he’d also earned the derision of voters back home with his support for the Inflation Reduction Act last year, having previously thwarted the effort by President Biden and Senate Democrats to pass the Build Back Better agenda, a multi-trillion social spending package.

Questions now will shift to Manchin’s future plans now that a reelection decision has been made. He has notably declined to tamp down chatter of a potential No Labels independent bid, having visited New Hampshire for an event by the group over the summer.

“Every incentive in Washington is designed to make our politics extreme. The growing divide between Democrats and Republicans is paralyzing Congress and worsening our nation’s problems,” Manchin added in his statement. “The majority of Americans are just plain worn out.”

“I know our country isn’t as divided as Washington wants us to believe. We share common values of family, freedom, democracy, dignity and a belief that together we can overcome any challenge,” he said. “We need to take back America and not let this divisive hatred further pull us apart.”

Manchin won’t seek reelection in West Virginia

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced Thursday that he will not seek reelection to the Senate in 2024, almost certainly handing Republicans a seat in next year’s elections in a deep red state.…

thehill.com

Click to expand...

That will be hard in WV, they are extra special stupid there! They will vote against their own interests every time and are easily conned by culture wars, the perfect target for a grifter.

Well why would he not?

Trump Takes Credit for Manchin Bowing Out of Senate Race
Donald Trump took credit for Sen. Joe Manchin's decision not to seek reelection in 2024, saying the West Virginia incumbent bowed out "because I endorsed Big Jim Justice for the U.S. Senate."

Trump took the victory lap on Truth Social shortly after Manchin elected not to seek reelection. Manchin called it "one of the toughest decisions of my life." Trump called it a dose of reality.

"Because I Endorsed Big Jim Justice of West Virginia for the U.S. Senate, and he has taken a commanding lead, Democrat Joe Manchin has decided not to seek re-election. Looking good for Big Jim!" Trump posted.

Texas judge rules against GOP lawsuit seeking to toss 2022 election result in Houston area
A Texas judge has denied a Republican effort to overturn election results in the nation’s third-most populous county, a Democratic stronghold that’s been beset by GOP efforts to dictate how ballots are cast.

A losing GOP candidate in a November judicial race had filed a lawsuit calling for a new election in her contest in Harris County, where Houston is located. Republican Erin Lunceford blamed her defeat on ballot shortages and allegations that illegal votes were cast.

But visiting Judge David Peeples ruled Thursday against the lawsuit’s request for a new election. His decision came months after a two-week trial in August in which no GOP voters came forward to testify they were unable to vote because of the problems.

The ruling is a blow to efforts by GOP leaders in Harris County to overturn November 2022 election results in 17 other local contests. It follows similar court challenges that have become more common around the country following baseless conspiracy theories spread by former President Donald Trump and his supporters alleging the 2020 presidential election was stolen by President Joe Biden’s backers.

Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, a Democrat, said in a statement that the county and voters have moved on from the 2022 election.

“I’m glad the judge confirmed what we’ve all known for a year now. These Republican candidates lost the 2022 election,” Menefee said. “I hope the Harris County Republican Party will move on too.”

Elections have been scrutinized for several years now in Harris County — which has nearly 5 million residents, most of whom are Latino or Black.
Problems have included long lines, poll worker shortages and ballots that weren’t counted the day of the election.

In the race at the center of the lawsuit, Lunceford was running to become a local judge and lost by more than 2,700 votes out of over 1 million cast. The lawsuit was the first filed over Harris County’s November 2022 election results that went to trial.

During the trial, Lunceford’s lawyers alleged paper ballot shortages targeted Republican voting locations. They also alleged other mistakes — including delayed poll openings at some locations, improper ballot scanning and inadequate reviews of forms voters fill out if there are questions about their residency in the county — prevented people from voting or let illegal votes be cast.

Lawyers for Tamika Craft, who won the election to be the judge of the 189th district court, argued the lawsuit is part of the Harris County Republican Party’s “master plan” to challenge election results, even before the election was held. They said the lawsuit is less about election integrity and more of a partisan push to disenfranchise thousands of voters.

Craft’s lawyers argued the GOP was trying to have ballots thrown out over simple mistakes on documents filled out by voters, including missing zip codes or addresses written in the wrong location.

During questioning by Craft’s lawyers, one of Lunceford’s experts admitted he had done “sloppy” work and had been wrong in claiming that some voters had cast illegal ballots.

After the November 2022 election, 21 GOP candidates filed lawsuits challenging their losses. Three of them have since dropped their cases. A GOP candidate who lost his race to be a state legislator from the Houston area had a separate election challenge dismissed in January by the Texas House speaker.

Harris County in recent years has become a recurring target of new Texas voting rules and restrictions passed by GOP lawmakers.

In 2021, the Republican-controlled Legislature passed laws banning drive-thru and 24-hour voting. Both initiatives were championed by Harris County and credited with increasing voter turnout.

Earlier this year, the Legislature passed two election-related laws that only impact Harris County. One allows the state to take over elections in the county if problems recur and the other eliminated the county’s top election office.

Harris County, like much of the rest of Texas, previously voted Republican. But in the last decade or so, demographic changes in the county have been trending toward residents who are younger and minorities, groups who tend to vote Democratic, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston. The state’s other large urban areas, like Dallas, El Paso and San Antonio, also vote Democratic.

DIY-HP-LED said:

That will be hard in WV, they are extra special stupid there! They will vote against their own interests every time and are easily conned by culture wars, the perfect target for a grifter.

Click to expand...

Let's talk about this viewpoint that "they vote against their own interests". I find that viewpoint condescending and disagree that you are in a position to decide what is in their interests over their own opinion.

I believe that it's not that they vote against their interests, it's that their interests aren't the same as yours.

Fogdog said:

Let's talk about this viewpoint that "they vote against their own interests". I find that viewpoint condescending and disagree that you are in a position to decide what is in their interests over their own opinion.

I believe that it's not that they vote against their interests, it's that their interests aren't the same as yours.

Click to expand...

Anybody who votes republican votes against their own interests, and while nominally a democrat, Manchin was just another grifter. The culture wars are an instrument to get people to vote against their own interests whether it be on healthcare or economic policy, they vote in the interests of those who propagandize them. We have them in Canada too, just look at Alberta and who they elected.

DIY-HP-LED said:

Anybody who votes republican votes against their own interests, and while nominally a democrat, Manchin was just another grifter. The culture wars are an instrument to get people to vote against their own interests whether it be on healthcare or economic policy, they vote in the interests of those who propagandize them. We have them in Canada too, just look at Alberta and who they elected.

Click to expand...

Just ask them. They have their reasons. They don't care about the same things you do. They don't want the government involved in their lives. They would rather work in coal mines and be able to pay for it themselves. Government provided health care is not what they want.

Just saying, in the context of their beliefs, they are voting in their own interests. Objectively are they? That's a different matter. But according to their beliefs and values, voting for Manchin or voting for Trump was their best choice. You can't force a person to vote a certain way after the curtain closes while they are in the voting booth.

Appeals court rules Louisiana must enact new congressional map by mid-January
The Louisiana Legislature has until Jan. 15 to enact a new congressional map after a lower court ruled that the current boundaries weaken the power of Black voters in the state, an appeals court ruled Friday.

The order by a three-judge panel in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals was released Friday. It tosses out the 2022 ruling, and it is the latest in the state’s redistricting fight, which could determine which party controls the state House following the 2024 elections.

The order said “the district court’s 2022 preliminary injunction, issued with the urgency of establishing a map for the 2022 elections, is no longer necessary.”

The opinion clarified that uncertainty remains regarding how external factors could affect developments in the case ahead of Jan. 15. Current Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards may call a special session to redraw the boundaries, but Republican Gov.-elect Jeff Landry could also call a special redistricting session in the handful of days following his Jan. 8 inauguration.

If the Legislature does not take up the plan and create a new map, a lower district could conduct a trial.

The court argued “an opportunity to adopt a new plan is appropriate since redistricting is a quintessential obligation of a state after a census.”

Bel Edwards previously vetoed new congressional maps that were advanced by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature. Bel Edwards said he thought the maps did not accurately reflect the makeup of Louisiana, a state where nearly 33 percent of residents are Black.

With the proposed districts, only one of the state’s six districts would have had a majority-Black population.

An earlier map was blocked by a federal district judge’s preliminary ruling, which sided with a group of Black voters that claim the map design violated the Voting Rights Act.

The state’s Legislature overrode Bel Edward’s veto, the first time in nearly three decades that lawmakers refused to accept a governor’s refusal of a bill they had passed.

Republicans argued that the map was fair and the state’s Black population was too dispersed across the state to warrant a second district.

The district court would need to consider whether the new plan is in line with the Voting Rights Act or whether another preliminary injunction is necessary, the appeals court argued Friday.

The court argued they chose the Jan. 15 deadline because they wanted to “allow newly elected officials to play an effective role in the process.”

printer said:

Appeals court rules Louisiana must enact new congressional map by mid-January
The Louisiana Legislature has until Jan. 15 to enact a new congressional map after a lower court ruled that the current boundaries weaken the power of Black voters in the state, an appeals court ruled Friday.

The order by a three-judge panel in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals was released Friday. It tosses out the 2022 ruling, and it is the latest in the state’s redistricting fight, which could determine which party controls the state House following the 2024 elections.

The order said “the district court’s 2022 preliminary injunction, issued with the urgency of establishing a map for the 2022 elections, is no longer necessary.”

The opinion clarified that uncertainty remains regarding how external factors could affect developments in the case ahead of Jan. 15. Current Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards may call a special session to redraw the boundaries, but Republican Gov.-elect Jeff Landry could also call a special redistricting session in the handful of days following his Jan. 8 inauguration.

If the Legislature does not take up the plan and create a new map, a lower district could conduct a trial.

The court argued “an opportunity to adopt a new plan is appropriate since redistricting is a quintessential obligation of a state after a census.”

Bel Edwards previously vetoed new congressional maps that were advanced by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature. Bel Edwards said he thought the maps did not accurately reflect the makeup of Louisiana, a state where nearly 33 percent of residents are Black.

With the proposed districts, only one of the state’s six districts would have had a majority-Black population.

An earlier map was blocked by a federal district judge’s preliminary ruling, which sided with a group of Black voters that claim the map design violated the Voting Rights Act.

The state’s Legislature overrode Bel Edward’s veto, the first time in nearly three decades that lawmakers refused to accept a governor’s refusal of a bill they had passed.

Republicans argued that the map was fair and the state’s Black population was too dispersed across the state to warrant a second district.

The district court would need to consider whether the new plan is in line with the Voting Rights Act or whether another preliminary injunction is necessary, the appeals court argued Friday.

The court argued they chose the Jan. 15 deadline because they wanted to “allow newly elected officials to play an effective role in the process.”

Appeals court rules Louisiana must enact new congressional map by mid-January

The Louisiana Legislature has until Jan. 15 to enact a new congressional map after a lower court ruled that the current boundaries weaken the power of Black voters in the state, an appeals court ru…

thehill.com

Click to expand...

If the voters and democracy don't matter to the fascists, neither does the rule of law or the courts.
A lot of these places were fascist since reconstruction, that's what the widespread endemic racism and the KKK was all about, domestic terrorism and voter suppression. A lot of the tricks and ideas the magats are trying to suppress the vote were born in the south and used against blacks first.

Economic discontent as the overall wealth of society increases with technological advances, the portion of the wealth the bottom 50% grows smaller and the wealth of rich grows faster, the richer they are the faster their wealth grows and the less tax they pay. A fairer economic and taxation system is required to avoid political trouble, because the imbalances will only grow worse, and the majority of the population will become more disconnected from the elites as the cost of education blocks upward mobility. What you inherit will be more important than your merit and the law will increasing favor and serve them and not ordinary people, Trump is an example of this. We are in a new gilded age, and it must be addressed by another new deal for the American people.

DIY-HP-LED said:

Economic discontent as the overall wealth of society increases with technological advances, the portion of the wealth the bottom 50% grows smaller and the wealth of rich grows faster, the richer they are the faster their wealth grows and the less tax they pay. A fairer economic and taxation system is required to avoid political trouble, because the imbalances will only grow worse, and the majority of the population will become more disconnected from the elites as the cost of education blocks upward mobility. What you inherit will be more important than your merit and the law will increasing favor and serve them and not ordinary people, Trump is an example of this. We are in a new gilded age, and it must be addressed by another new deal for the American people.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1723385099641643355

Click to expand...

Supply and demand. If people were not paying the prices the price would drop.

printer said:

Supply and demand. If people were not paying the prices the price would drop.

Click to expand...

That is true but only half the story. Looking at the supply side, there aren't many smaller, less costly to build homes entering the market. So, yeah, people are buying larger, more expensive homes but people looking for something that was built to supply homes for lower income people are stuck with rentals or mobile homes. Condominiums come with high HOA fees, often costing more than monthly rent. People with less than median incomes have no supply to buy.

Steve Schmidt reacts to Republican Sen. Tim Scott suspending presidential campaign | The Warning

Steve Schmidt reacts to the news that Senator Tim Scott is suspending his presidential campaign. He discusses how it could impact the other candidates chances to defeat Donald Trump in 2024.

Trump campaign pushes back on ‘speculative and theoretical’ reports about second-term plans
Top Trump campaign advisers Monday sought to tamp down a spate of reporting about possible second-term policy and personnel plans that former President Trump would implement if he wins reelection next November. The statement from Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita appeared to be addressing reports from The New York Times and Washington Post about Trump’s plans for a second term.

“The efforts by various non-profit groups are certainly appreciated and can be enormously helpful,” Wiles and LaCivita said. “However, none of these groups or individuals speak for President Trump or his campaign. We will have an official transition effort to be announced at a later date.”
“Therefore, these reports about personnel and policies that are specific to a second Trump Administration are purely speculative and theoretical,” they added. “Any personnel lists, policy agendas, or government plans published anywhere are merely suggestions.”

The Times has in recent weeks laid out Trump’s sweeping plans for cracking down on immigration and the likelihood that he will install attorneys who won’t hold up his proposals. The Post, meanwhile, has reported how Trump and his allies could use the government to go after his enemies.
The stories have cited various outside conservative groups and former Trump White House officials, including Stephen Miller, Russ Vought and officials affiliated with “Project 2025,” an effort affiliated with The Heritage Foundation designed to identify potential staffers for the next GOP administration.

Wiles and LaCivita on Monday said the increasing number of stories about potential plans for Trump’s second term are “neither appropriate nor constructive.”

“President Trump and his campaign are singularly focused on beating Joe Biden and achieving victory next November,” they said. “While we understand fully the value of planning a transition back to the Oval Office, these press reports are largely unfounded and an unnecessary distraction from the work we are doing to defeat the most corrupt and incompetent president in what is the most consequential election in the history of our country.”

Trump and his campaign have proposed a plethora of policies as part of his 2024 campaign for the White House. The former president has said he would implement “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history” and has called for drug traffickers to receive the death penalty.
He has in recent days suggested it would be fair game for his administration to target a political opponent, citing his multiple indictments during a Democratic administration.

And Trump has said he would reimpose an expanded version of his travel ban that applied to several Muslim-majority countries and would implement ideological screenings for those coming into the United States.

Trump is dominating the Republican presidential primary, leading by nearly 60 percentage points over his next nearest challenger in an average of national polls. He is also leading by double digits in nearly every state-level poll.

BREAKING: President Biden rips into Donald Trump with righteous fury for using Nazi language after the MAGA cult leader said that he wants to "wipe out" all of the "vermin" if he wins the White House in 2024.

Biden took the gloves off for this one...

At a recent deranged rally, Trump told his frothing fascist supporters that he will "root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country."

This kind of dehumanizing language is right out of the Nazi playbook and lays the groundwork for all manner of brutal policies, up to and including genocide. Biden refused to let it slide.

Speaking to a crowd last night, the president tore into the comments.

"Trump has said if he returns to office he’s gonna go after all those who oppose him and wipe out what he called the ‘vermin...in America’... it echoes language you heard in Nazi Germany in the 30s," said Biden. "It isn’t even the first time."

Biden also slammed Trump's xenophobic comment that "illegal immigrants" are "poisoning the blood of our country." This kind of language is white nationalist to its core and is meant to terrify bigots with the specter of race-mixing.

Donald Trump could not be making it any more clear at this point. A vote for him in 2024 is a vote for literal fascism. He will weaponize the Justice Department, dismantle our democracy, and attempt to bring out his own version of the Reich.

How Robert Kennedy Jr. and Joe Manchin could help take down Donald Trump in 2024 | The Warning

Steve Schmidt reacts to the latest polling out of New Hampshire, which shows Nikki Haley surging against Donald Trump and a wide open Democratic race. Steve discusses the political implications of RFK Jr and Joe Manchin possibly entering the race and how that would throw the 2024 election into chaos.

Let's talk about a problem with P!NK....

DIY-HP-LED said:

View attachment 5344199

Click to expand...

I put less stock in disapproval ratings of Democrats from WaPo than I do of the same from Fox News. I'd be willing to bet Biden’s disapproval numbers are proportional to the level of hipster edginess.

Get those same hipsters into the poll that really matters and see a strange change in attitude.

edit: Heaven forbid anyone takes a challenging elective like Macroeconomics.

Positioning herself for when Trump is in cuffs.

Haley says she doesn’t ‘agree’ with Trump calling political opponents ‘vermin’
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Friday said she doesn’t agree with former President Trump’s recent and controversial remarks calling his political opponents “vermin.”

“The reality is I don’t agree with that statement any more than I agree when he said Hezbollah was smart, or any more than I agree when he hit Netanyahu when his country was on its knees after all that brutality,” Haley said at a town hall in Iowa, according to footage shared by Forbes.

Her comments come nearly a week after Trump said during a Veterans Day speech that he would “root out … the radical-left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country.”

In October, Trump called the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah “very smart” — and criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel.

“It’s the chaos of it all, right? And so I think he means well. But the chaos has got to stop,” Haley said in Iowa. “And over and over again we feel it.”

Trump’s “vermin” remark prompted swift backlash as many likened the rhetoric to that of dictators during World War II.

Haley said she had a “good working relationship” with the former president during her tenure as ambassador to the United Nations under his administration, adding “he knows I saved him on some things.”

She pointed to Republicans’ losses over the last few election cycles, saying “you don’t fix Democrat chaos with Republican chaos.”

Of Trump, she quipped that “yes, his personality’s not my personality, and yes, he says things he shouldn’t say.”

Haley, also the former governor of South Carolina, has been rising in recent polling, closing in on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — who has long been considered Trump’s closest 2024 primary challenger — for second-place among the GOP field.

Trump holds a significant double-digit lead over his GOP competitors, as Haley and DeSantis look to best each other in the upcoming Iowa caucuses.