Haley calls it ‘wasted energy’ to focus on Trump’s legal battles

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Sunday called it “wasted energy” to focus on former President Trump’s ongoing legal battles, deferring to the courts to make such judgements.

Pressed on ABC News’s “This Week” on whether Trump should get immunity from criminal prosecution, Haley said, “I think the court issues are — do you have immunity when you’re president, when you’re not president? At what point does that line fall?”

“I’m going to let judges decide that, I don’t know where the line falls,” Haley continued. “President Trump is going to have to defend himself, no matter what. If he’s found guilty, he’s found guilty. If he’s found innocent, he’s found innocent. It would be wasted energy for me to sit there and focus on court cases and not focus on how to win that room that we just left.”

Trump, who has maintained a strong lead in GOP presidential primary polls, has argued through his legal team that he is immune from prosecution because he is protected by presidential immunity relating to criminal charges that stem from his first-term in the White House, including his actions leading up to and on Jan. 6, 2021.

Special counsel Jack Smith last week asked the Supreme Court to immediately weigh in on whether Trump has immunity from prosecution in his federal election interference case. The move is aimed at ensuring the trial, slated to begin in March, can stay on track.

“This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl on Sunday responded to Haley saying Trump’s argument sounds “a lot like saying…a president is above the law.”

Haley then interjected, “He [Trump] can answer for himself. I am not in a court case, I’m happy I don’t have to answer for that, so let him answer it.”

The former president is facing four felony counts over allegations he was involved in a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and stood at the center of a campaign to stop the certification of votes on Jan. 6.

Federal Judge Tanya Chutkan already rejected Trump’s immunity argument in a ruling earlier this month, stating whatever immunities a president once held does not mean they receive a “lifelong ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ pass.” Trump appealed Chutkan’s ruling.

Smith is looking for the issue to be taken up by the nation’s highest court before the D.C. Circuit issues its ruling and asked the justices accelerate their consideration of the case.

Trump’s lead in the GOP primary polls remains strong despite the 91 criminal charges he faces. As of Sunday, polling from Decision Desk HQ and The Hill found Trump has about 63 percent of the GOP primary vote, while Haley trails behind at 11.5 percent.