GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley is using Valentine's Day to highlight the international relations of former President Donald Trump, her opponent in the 2024 presidential race.
What Happened: Haley has gone on the offensive in recent months, launching an ad campaign against Trump and current President Joe Biden over their age with a "Grumpy Old Men" parody.
For this Valentine's Day holiday, Haley is again on the offensive. Her campaign released several customized Valentine's Day cards for Trump to gift to foreign leaders.
"Happy Valentine's Day from Donald Trump to dictators around the world! Over the years, Trump has professed his love for the world's most brutal dictators and praised their strength and leadership skills," the Haley campaign said, as shared by The New York Post.
Here's a look at the valentines.
"Roses are red. Violets are blue. I love dictators & they love me too," is directed to Trump himself.
Another valentine is meant for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un from Trump: "He wrote me beautiful letters, and they're great letters. We fell in love," the valentine reads.
Another note is addressed to Chinese President Xi Jinping from Trump: "He's strong like granite, he's strong, I know him very well, President Xi of China…what can I say: he runs 1.4 billion people with an iron hand," the valentine reads.
The quote comes from a Trump rally in Iowa in 2023 according to the report.
Another valentine is addressed to The Taliban from Trump: "The Taliban, good fighters, I will tell you, good fighters. You have to give them credit for that. They've been fighting for a thousand years. What they do is they fight," the valentine reads.
Another valentine is addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin from Trump.
"I called President Putin of Russia to congratulate him on his election victory. The Fake News Media is crazed because they wanted me to excoriate him. They are wrong!" the valentine reads.
Trump's campaign brushed off the attack with a response criticizing Haley.
"Nikki ‘Birdbrain' Haley has a minor league brain in a major league world. She is simply too stupid to comprehend that President Trump brought peace and prosperity to the country," Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung told The Post.
Haley wasn't the only one who used Valentine's Day as a reminder of Trump's relations with foreign leaders. Former Trump press secretary Anthony Scaramucci pointed out the relationships.
"On this Valentine's Day: ask why does Trump have an unconditional love affair with dictators? Because he wants to be one. He wants for this region of the world the control that Putin has over the Eurasian plain," Scaramucci tweeted.
Why It's Important: The valentines highlight the forging relations Trump has with several world leaders who have proven to be controversial and had complicated relationships with the U.S. in recent years.
Many of the valentines use direct quotes from Trump at past rallies and events, which could be used by Haley to highlight Trump's relationships with the individuals in question.
The homemade valentines from Haley come as Trump recently made questionable remarks about NATO members. Trump said he would encourage Russia to do "whatever the hell they want" including targeting members of NATO —U.S. allies.
Trump stressed the importance of countries paying for protection.
"Everybody's gonna pay," Trump said previously.
President Joe Biden rebuked Trump’s comments as “dumb, shameful and un-American.”
Image: Shutterstock
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