Haley says she’d pardon Trump if she’s elected president

Haley trails Trump by just 4 points in New Hampshire poll
She claims imprisoning Trump would further ‘divide’ the country
Haley: ‘We can move on as a country and no longer talk about him’

Updated: Dec 30, 2023 / 01:07 PM CST

Republican presidential candidate and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition’s fall banquet, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Bryon Houlgrave)

(NewsNation) — Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has indicated she would pardon former President Donald Trump “if he is found guilty.”

“I would pardon Trump,” Haley said at a campaign event, according to a video posted by NBC News.

“If he is found guilty, a leader needs to think about what’s in the best interest of the country,” Haley said. “What’s in the best interest of the country is not to have an 80-year-old man sitting in jail, that continues to divide our country.”

“What’s in the best interest of the country would be to pardon him, so that we can move on as a country and no longer talk about him,” she added.

A poll released last week found Haley trails Trump by just 4 points in New Hampshire.

According to a December survey by American Research Group Inc. asking voters who their preference was in the Republican presidential primary, Trump earned 33% support.

Haley earned 29%, a significant milestone for the former U.N. ambassador, who appears to have been gaining ground on Trump’s steady lead in the state; the gap between her and the former president was well within the poll’s margin of error of 4 points.

NewsNation affiliate The Hill contributed to this report.