Former South Carolina Republican Governor Nikki Haley officially endorsed former President Donald Trump in a speech at the Republican National Convention—though eagle-eyed viewers noted the way she shook her head as if to say "no" even while publicly throwing her support behind him.
Haley, once Trump's primary rival on the campaign trail, gave him her "strong endorsement" during her appearance in Milwaukee, ending months of speculation about whether she would support her former opponent.
And yet people couldn't help but notice the way Haley shook her head while praising Trump, as you can see in the video below.
Haley's remarks came just weeks after she was called out for reversing course by announcing she plans on voting for Trump in the 2024 election after previously calling him a "disaster" in a speech in February.
At the time, Haley said there are poltiicians who have "publicly embraced Trump" yet "privately dread him," declaring that she is "not afraid to say the hard truth out loud" and that she feels "no need to kiss the ring."
It's clear she didn't mean that—and many wondered if her blatant head shake during her speech betrayed her actual feelings about Trump, under whom she once worked as a United Nations Ambassador.
Haley's endorsement is all the more troubling given she previously questioned Trump's cognitive function.
In January, shortly before she dropped out of the presidential race, Trump challenged Haley to an "aptitude test" after Haley said Trump is “not as sharp” as he “used to be" because he appeared to mix her up with Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi during a campaign event in New Hampshire.
Haley in the past has said presidential candidates over the age of 75 should only be allowed to campaign if they pass cognitive assessments, a call she appears to have dropped now that she's given the 78-year-old Trump her official endorsement.
Haley was not initially slated to speak at the Republican National Convention but appeared amid calls from within the GOP to unify behind Trump after he survived an assassination attempt over the weekend.
@WhiteHouse/X
