Nikki Haley, a Republican presidential candidate and former governor of South Carolina, has been making inaccurate or misleading claims on various topics while on the campaign trail. In terms of sex and gender issues, she exaggerated the scope of the Roe v. Wade ruling on abortion, falsely stating that it allowed abortion “any time, anywhere, for any reason.” The ruling actually limited states from banning abortions before fetal viability, which is around 23 or 24 weeks.
Regarding transgender youth, Haley made an unsupported claim that the presence of biological boys in girls’ locker rooms contributed to teenage girls contemplating suicide. Experts have debunked this theory, stating that the causes of increased depression and suicide rates among teenage girls are complex and multifaceted.
In terms of foreign policy, Haley suggested that serious conversations with China and India were necessary to address environmental issues, as they are major polluters. While this is true, she failed to mention that the United States is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases and that China and India emit less per capita than wealthier nations.
Haley also criticized foreign aid, claiming that the United States gave large sums of money to countries like Pakistan, Iraq, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Cuba, and China, despite their negative actions. However, the aid given to these countries accounted for only a small percentage of the total foreign aid budget. Most aid is channeled through organizations and agencies, not directly to foreign governments.
On domestic policy, Haley disputed the idea of providing social benefits to undocumented immigrants, claiming that “hundreds of billions of dollars” were being spent on them. The actual costs are much lower, with estimates ranging from $3.3 billion to $15.6 billion. Furthermore, unauthorized immigrants are generally not eligible for federal social safety net programs.
Lastly, Haley exaggerated the amount of unspent COVID-19 funding, claiming there were $500 billion in unspent dollars. The actual amount is closer to $60 billion, and a significant portion of that had already been rescinded through a budget deal.
Overall, Nikki Haley’s statements on abortion, transgender issues, foreign policy, and domestic policy contain inaccuracies or misleading information. Fact-checking reveals that her claims often lack evidence or context, highlighting the importance of verifying statements made by political candidates.
