Trump claims that he deliberately mixes up names

At a rally in South Carolina, Trump asserts that he intentionally interchanges names after critics accuse him of not being able to differentiate between former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Gov. Nikki Haley

Former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that his recent confusion of names was deliberate. In a speech last month, he mistakenly referred to former Gov. Nikki Haley as former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and suggested that Barack Obama was still in office.

During a rally in South Carolina, Trump asserted that when he intentionally interchanged names, critics accused him of not being able to differentiate between Pelosi and Nikki. He explained that his reference to Obama as the current president was meant to be sarcastic, not a mistake, and emphasized his proficiency as a public speaker. 

The issue of age and mental acuity has become a prominent topic in the 2024 election campaign following a recent report suggesting that President Joe Biden, 81, was experiencing memory lapses. In response, allies of Biden have highlighted verbal errors made by former President Trump, such as the mix-up between Haley and Pelosi and the Obama comment. 

As the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, Trump is preparing for a potential rematch with Biden in the upcoming November election. Nikki Haley, 52, has advocated for mental competency assessments for presidential candidates over the age of 75, including Biden and Trump, who are the two oldest individuals to have been elected to the U.S. presidency. 

According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday, 78% of respondents, including 71%  of Democrats, believe that Biden is too old to serve in government. In contrast, Trump faces less skepticism regarding his age, with 53% of respondents considering him suitable for government work. 

Biden recently made errors in recalling the names of world leaders, including confusing France’s former President Francois Mitterrand with its current President Emmanuel Macron. 

Special Counsel Robert Hur, a Republican former U.S. attorney in Maryland during Trump’s administration, stated in his recent report on Biden’s handling of classified documents that Biden was a “well-intentioned, elderly man with a weak memory” and was unable to recall the timing of his son Beau Biden’s passing when questioned by investigators. 

Biden reacted with frustration to the report, asserting that his memory is “perfectly fine.” 

At a rally on Wednesday, Trump emphasized his “admiration” for the U.S. military. Haley has criticized him in recent days for previous remarks disparaging veterans, including a recent incident where he ridiculed her husband, who is serving overseas with the Army National Guard. 

With victories in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada, Trump is on the verge of securing the Republican nomination. 

Haley, who faces significant obstacles in securing the nomination, is determined to continue her campaign and may make a final effort in her home state of South Carolina during its primary on Feb. 24, despite trailing significantly behind Trump in opinion polls there. 

Source: Reuters