The Politics Corner: Republican Rebuttal Highlights Party Divisions

On Wednesday night, President Obama delivered his final State of the Union Address before Congress. His address covered a variety of topics, including education, healthcare, and national security.

Traditionally, the opposing party delivers a rebuttal speech to the President’s State of the Union. In years past, prominent politicians or rising stars are chosen to give the address, including the likes of Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan, Bobby Jindal (under the Obama Administration) and Democrats like Jim Webb and Tim Kaine. This year, the Governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, who has been in the spotlight for her handling of the Charleston Church Shooting, was selected to give the address. Governor Haley criticized the President’s record on the economy and healthcare, while also speaking against partisan anger. Haley called for Republicans to “recognize our contributions to the erosion of the public trust in America’s leadership.”

Although she did not mention him by name, Haley railed against current Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, warning about the dangers of listening to the “angriest voices” in politics during times of crisis.

Haley’s speech was met with both great praise and great criticism from within the Republican Party. Commentator Ann Coulter made an especially controversial tweet, declaring that “Trump should deport Nikki Haley.” Trump himself also responded to Haley’s speech, claiming that she is not “off to a good start” if she wants to be his running mate, and that she is “very weak” on immigration.

Haley’s speech and the following fallout is the newest chapter in the divide in the Republican Party between the conventional establishment of which Haley is a member, and political outsiders and Tea Party candidates such as Donald Trump or Ted Cruz. This split can be seen in the unexpected failures of establishment candidates to perform well in the polls (Scott Walker and Jeb Bush), and Speaker Ryan’s condemnation of Trump’s controversial comments on banning Muslim immigrants to the U.S.