Donald Trump claimed he “purposely” meant to “interpose” the names of former House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley during his Jan. 6 mix-up last month.
“It’s very hard to be sarcastic when I interpose. I’m not a Nicki fan and I’m not a Pelosi fan. And when I purposely interpose names they said, ‘He didn’t know Pelosi from Nikki from tricky Nikki, tricky Dicky,’” the former president said at a South Carolina rally Wednesday.
“I interpose and they make a big deal out of it. I said, ‘No, no, I think they both stink, they have something in common, they both stink.’ And remember this, when I make a statement like that about Nikki that means she will never be running for vice president.”
Trump’s remarks arrived weeks after he named Haley ― his GOP rival, a former United Nations ambassador and ex-South Carolina governor ― as the person “in charge of security” during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.
The House speaker cannot direct the National Guard and isn’t in charge of security at the Capitol.
Haley, in response, questioned the mental fitness of the current GOP front-runner –– who has repeatedly bragged about his performance on a cognitive test –– and suggested he’s “not as sharp as” he used to be.
Trump: It’s very hard to be sarcastic. When I interpose— I’m not a Nikki fan and I’m not a Pelosi fan. When I purposely interpose names, they say he didn’t know Pelosi from Nikki. pic.twitter.com/UFjnRq4Qg6
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 15, 2024
Critics on X were quick to mock the former president, pointing out that he didn’t accurately use the word “interpose.”
Tell me you don’t know what the word “interpose” means without telling me you don’t know what the word “interpose” means
(Then do the phrase “support hose”) https://t.co/LwQ55sE4Ms
— Keith Olbermann⌚️ (@KeithOlbermann) February 15, 2024
It’s like he heard someone say interpose and thought “cool word,” like jabroni in Always Sunny.
— Ryan McCarthy (@ryrymcc) February 15, 2024
Is anyone buying this excuse? 🙄
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) February 15, 2024
I think I get it. He *transposes* the names of people he hates because they’re all the same to him?
Yeah, no. Even if he could say it coherently, it doesn’t stand to reason.
— Mueller, She Wrote (@MuellerSheWrote) February 15, 2024
Sorry genius, ‘Juxtapose’ is more correct than ‘interpose’. You didn’t interpose anything. May I suggest, without judgement.. You might consider using ‘Confuse-posed’ maybe.
— It’s Me (@csmoorex) February 15, 2024
Pure genius. We haven’t seen an orator like this since Yosemite Sam.
— Daryl R. Wilson (@DarylWi10408004) February 15, 2024
