Republican Haley Takes Aim at Trump in Party's Response to Obama

South Carolina governor urges party to shun `angriest voices'
Haley says Republicans share blame with Democrats for divide

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley holds a news conference on Feb. 23, 2015, in Washington.
Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

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By Kevin Whitelaw and Margaret Talev

January 13, 2016 at 5:05 AM UTC

Updated on

January 13, 2016 at 1:23 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley drew harsh criticism from fellow conservatives after she took swipes at presidential front-runner, Donald Trump, in her response to President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address.

While never mentioning Trump’s name, Haley’s effort on Tuesday to sketch out a kinder and gentler vision of the Republican Party was aimed squarely at pushing back against the billionaire’s populist campaign for the White House. And it prompted a sharp backlash from some of the party’s most fervent conservative voices.