Nikki Haley Takes Aim at Trump During Surprise 'SNL' Appearance

Presidential candidate Nikki Haley made an unexpected appearance on Saturday Night Live's cold opening, where she took a swipe at her GOP primary rival, former President Donald Trump. Haley, pretending to be a concerned South Carolina voter at a CNN town hall, questioned why Trump wouldn't debate her.

In response, James Austin Johnson, portraying Trump, referred to Haley as the woman in charge of security on January 6, insinuating a connection to Nancy Pelosi. Undeterred, Haley fired back, suggesting that Trump might need a mental competency test.

Johnson's Trump retorted, claiming to have taken the test and passed with flying colors. He then made a sexist remark about women running the economy, referencing a recent defamation judgment against Trump.

The exchange continued with Johnson's Trump going on a tangent, ending with the line, "I see dead people."

Haley seized the opportunity to deliver a punchline, stating, "That's what voters will say when they see you and Joe on the ballot."

Trump's character tried to criticize Haley for the joke, to which she responded by reminding him of his previous birtherism claims and his loss in New York during the 2020 election.

During the "Republican town hall" skit, Haley also fielded a question from the episode's host, Ayo Edebiri, who asked about the main cause of the Civil War. Haley acknowledged her previous omission and confirmed that slavery was indeed the cause before delivering the iconic "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" line.

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After her appearance, Haley uploaded the entire cold opening segment to her X account but later deleted it and re-uploaded it. She specifically highlighted the "I see dead people" joke and expressed her enjoyment of being on SNL. However, she jokingly signed off, mentioning that it was past Donald's bedtime and anticipating a stream of unhinged tweets in the morning.

Haley's peculiar behavior caught the attention of Trump's camp, with his advisor, Dan Scavino, taking screenshots of Haley's original tweet before its deletion. Scavino then posted the video on his own profile, suggesting that Haley's attempt to attack Trump had backfired, resulting in her own embarrassment.