Nikki Haley Confuses Basketballer Caitlin Clark With CNN Anchor
Haley’s flub caps a rocky week of public appearances.
Christian Monterrosa / AFP via Getty Images
GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley flubbed her praise of Iowa Hawkeyes basketballer Caitlin Clark—appearing to confuse her for a CNN anchor with a similar name during a local restaurant event ahead of the Hawkeyes game.
“We’re excited to see the Lady Hawkeyes team,” Haley said. “What a great coach they have. Kaitlan Collins is phenomenal.”
Collins is the host of CNN’s The Source, not Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark.
Haley’s critics seized on the confusion. “Unlike Haley, Caitlin Clark is great under pressure,” Never Back Down Deputy Communications Director Jess Szymanski tweeted.
I can assure you her free-throw percentage is much better than mine. https://t.co/J46hwf5Lq0
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) December 30, 2023
Collins herself chimed in on the mix-up, writing on X: “I can assure you her free-throw percentage is much better than mine.”
The flub capped a rough week for Haley, who drew widespread criticism after she declined to name slavery as a cause of the Civil War before being labeled the “new John Kerry” by a 9-year-old.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.