Former President Donald Trump addressed a crowd of supporters in Concord, New Hampshire, discussing the Jan. 6 riot. In a notable mix-up, he appeared to mistakenly reference GOP rival Nikki Haley instead of Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
During the 90-minute speech, Trump claimed that crucial information related to the riot had been deleted and destroyed, attributing it to Haley, who previously served as his ambassador to the United Nations but had no congressional role.
“Nikki Haley, you know they, do you know they destroyed all of the information, all of the evidence, everything, deleted and destroyed all of it,” he said, as reported by NBC News on Saturday, January 20.
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Trump asserted that Haley was in charge of security and alleged that despite offering 10,000 people, including soldiers and National Guard, they were turned down. He accused those involved of dishonesty.
His campaign has been contacted for clarification on his remarks.
This incident mirrors Trump’s previous accusation against Pelosi, claiming she rejected 10,000 soldiers on Jan. 6, a claim debunked by the Jan. 6 committee. The committee’s final report cited Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller’s testimony, refuting Trump’s assertion.
This verbal slip is not an isolated incident for the 77-year-old Trump, who has previously confused politicians during speeches. In September, he mixed up President Joe Biden with former President Barack Obama, stating, “with Obama, we won an election that everyone said couldn’t be won.”
Trump defended such switches by claiming he does it “sarcastically” to suggest others may be influencing the country.
In October, he referred to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as the leader of Turkey and mistakenly identified a crowd’s location, saying it was from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, while in Sioux City, Iowa.
Despite Trump frequently portraying President Joe Biden, 81, as confused and mentally unfit for office, Biden did not make his predecessor’s mental fitness a major campaign issue. A September NBC News poll reflected voters’ concerns about the ages of both Trump and Biden.
Approximately 74% expressed major or moderate concerns about Biden’s ability to serve a second term at 80 years old, while 47% reported similar concerns about Trump.
The incident in New Hampshire highlights the challenges of navigating the political landscape, with verbal slips becoming a noteworthy aspect of Trump’s post-presidential public appearances.
